On July 4th, our nation will celebrate two-hundred and forty-four years of declaring freedom from the King of England. Early patriots felt the king was oppressive and taxed the colonist too much. They wanted to be a free nation. So, in anticipation of being an independent nation, they endured war for eight years. They had no permanent central government in place other than the Continental Congress. They appointed a military general to lead the army. The people in the land were told they were free from the king. However, no one had promised that they would win and truly be free.
The people suffered much during the war; some were robbed and had their lands and possessions ravaged or destroyed. Their young men were killed. Their passions bound them, but their Declaration of Independence told them they were free.
The Negros had to serve as slaves, and the Indians were cheated of their land. Both were severely oppressed. This new free land continued to press on, and eventually, the new government needed money and started taxing the people.
Now the government is starting to oppress certain rights that once were extremely important. This land that was to be a great free land is still run by men who are bound by human nature. Human nature will always oppress people.
The Lord Jesus came to bring a different kind of freedom. In John 8:31-32, Jesus told the believing Jews, If ye continue in my word… Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. These men declared that they were already free and never in bondage. But Jesus was speaking of being bound by sin. Whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin.
Since Jesus gave us the Gospel and the resurrection power, we can be free from bondage and the penalty of sin. We can have true freedom. We can leave the low life of sin and come into a kingdom where the gates of hell will not prevail. We have an infallible Leader, power from within, and brethren to help us. Since our kingdom is not of this world, our freedom is not contingent on leaders, policy, money, or space. We can be poor, bound in prison, oppressed by governments, but we are free. We can be free in our conscience, knowing that the truth will stand.
Jesus offers us true freedom. Enter in and find rest. It is our choice. No one can make that choice for us. We can be free of hurt feelings, free from grudges, and free of bad attitudes. People can hurt our bodies but not our souls.
Jesus also declared that His followers were part of a different kind of kingdom. Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence (John 18:36).
Jesus taught us to be free from national loyalties and earthly entanglements. He taught us to set our affection on things above. We can choose to be free in spirit, regardless of how the government laws afflict us.
But with God as our Father and Christ our brother, we can live free. Christ will not allow us to be tempted or tested above that which we are able. We must stand steadfast and know that all things will be made new at the end of time. If we abide in Christ and are free here and now, we will reign with Him in the millennium and be free spiritually and nationally. If we don’t know what it is like to be free in Christ now, we won’t be able to be free in eternity.
You can choose to appear free in this world and be bound spiritually by the devil or possibly bound in this world but free in Christ.
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