Let Freedom Reign

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ.  He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities; he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

                                                      Colossians 2:13-15

Birthdays and birthday parties, they can be enormous fun.  Especially when you are the focus of said party.  This past July 4^th, I celebrated another milestone birthday (I won’t tell you which one, let’s just keep the mystery alive) and I find myself meditating on the substance of freedom.  Freedom is in my blood.  I was literally born on the one day designated on the American calendar that inspires the whole country to celebrate it.  Like it or not freedom and the day of my birth are inherently attached.  I can’t celebrate one without the other.  It is just the way it is and has been my whole life.

This year I find myself pondering freedom, really pondering freedom.  With the recent supreme court rulings in our country defining freedom in a new way and the onslaught of maliciousness from both sides of that decision, I wonder is this really freedom?  My heart is heavy for all who have been hurt by this decision.  It seems to me that freedom shouldn’t hurt some while helping others.  Freedom should be freedom for all.  Which leads to the question, “Who gets to define freedom?”  Do the people, the President, the Supreme Court Justices, Congress?  Who defines freedom anyway?

Take a moment to read our verses today.  These verses specifically speak to freedom.  True freedom.  To clarify, let’s revisit an earlier verse we already addressed. 

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”

                                                               Colossians 2:8

In this verse, Paul is telling the Colossians that you can be in Christ and still not be walking in freedom.  How?  By going after human tradition and the basic principles of this world.  A life that is truly free will not be one sold out to the worlds systems.  Paul is saying that those systems lead to captivity.  Practically, what might they be?  Freedom seems to be defined in our culture as:

         - I can say what I want

         - I can choose what I want

         - I can believe what I want

         - I can wear or not wear what I want

         - I can worship what I want

         - I spend money the way I want

Paul is saying that this is not true freedom.  It leads to captivity. 

What is true freedom?  True freedom according to Paul is found in what we have in Christ. 

         - We have been made alive to God when we were dead

         - We have had our sinful nature removed

         - We have been forgiven by God

         - We have had the written code against us removed

What our culture believes will bring true freedom only leads to captivity because the freedom that fulfills our deepest longing is really a full relationship with our Creator.  God has placed a desire for freedom and a kingdom of freedom but it is only found in Him.  He is what fulfills our deepest longing.  He has made a way for us to bridge the gap that has separated us from Him.  Until we accept His Lordship we will never be free, for freedom is found only in a relationship with Him. 

Who defines freedom? True freedom is found as we hover close to our savior and follow his lead.  He is the one who has all power and authority over all rulers and earthly authorities.  He is where true freedom is found.  He is also the one who defines it.  How can man ever define anything?  Our views are always changing.  They are rarely consistent and definite.  They ebb and flow.  God’s does not.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever. 

The best part about this freedom is not just that God defines it but that God does it.  We don’t have to strive for it, legislate for it, debate for it, or petition for it.  God gives it freely of his own accord.  No striving, just receiving.  And it is for everyone.  Not just a few, everyone.  We are freely invited to join His kingdom and His reign. 

How do we live in this freedom?  We live in this freedom by following the ways of the King.  God has freely opened the doors of heaven to us and we get to enter in.  There is no longer a barrier between God and us.  Everything that our soul truly longs for is now ours.  To have freedom with God is so much better than earthy freedom.  Since He is now our King, it would make sense that His rules are best. 

While we are not of this world, we still live in this world but our roles here have changed.  We are now ambassadors of a greater Kingdom.  Our focus is to sojourn through this earth toward heaven spreading the seeds of salvation as we go with the hopes of rescuing as many people as the Lord allows along the way.  Our eyes need not be on what we see but on what is ahead.  No fretting or hand wringing and no worrying about the future.  Our future is secure and intact.  God is making all things new. 

Our freedom will never rest in the whims and dictates of man but only in the true freedom giver.  What we long for most are free hearts and no one on this planet has the power to set a heart free.  Only God.  And that freedom is found only in His son, the Christ, Savior, Messiah, Jesus, our King. 

Let freedom reign!

We find freedom when we find God; we lose it when we lose him.

                                                              

                                                      Paul E. Scherer