GOD'S TRUE FREEDOM

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse.  Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice, and holding fast to him, for He is your life and length of days…’ (Deuteronomy 30:19,20).

It seems like human beings spend a lot of time and money fighting for freedom, the world’s freedom, like it is something to be captured and grasped; which then makes it not freedom but possession. There is nothing purer than God’s freedom.   It is different than the world’s freedom because God’s freedom does have laws, precepts, commandments and rules.  There is a Way that is right.  I experience God’s Way to true freedom as having boundaries, not barriers, choices not chains, service not slavery, and obedience not oppression.  Being yoked to the One who was with God in the beginning, who made all things, who is Life itself, and the true light which enlightens everyone, is the only Way to true freedom.

God’s creation contains an inner order; I can observe that in nature.  All created things have that inner order within them that obey without thought or question.  My squirrels are not organized externally but inwardly they all know how to build nests that survive the worst of weather conditions; they know how to jump from tree to tree, branch to branch, knowing which ones will hold them; they follow their inner squirrelness that God created them with and continue to be a delight to me as I watch them out of my window morning after morning, year after year.  The same is true of every other creature.  They all do what they were meant to do according to their own kind; to their inner life order.

I believe God created human beings in that same way, with an inner life order according to His image and likeness.  When I am obedient to that order I am truly free to be me.  When I throw that order off and start doing what I think best because of what the world has whispered in my ear, I end up like a squirrel trying to live in the ocean.

Because God is God and wants His creation to freely love Him, obey Him, and commune with Him, I have the ability to choose how I live.  God is clear as to the responsibilities I am accepting when I choose Him.  He is also clear as to the consequences if I choose to reject Him. Those consequences are eternal so it is important that I seriously consider the choice I make not out of fear but out of love for true freedom.

Religion needs to be a source of Revelation not a source of restriction.  Its message is one of hope, of true freedom.  True freedom comes from following not fighting, yielding not yelling, resting not rebelling.  True inner freedom overpowers outer oppression.  The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is the demonstration of that power.  Religion needs to be the voice of God as He invites all who will listen, Come, follow me…Come, BE FREE.