In light of ongoing riots and protests in the aftermath of the George Zimmerman acquittal transpiring at the time of this writing, it occurred to me how vital it is for genuine Born Again believers to be reminded of some important truths regarding real freedom.
Christ—who Himself is TRUTH—is the only Source of true freedom! No man can give you freedom, and therefore no man can take it away.
“If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the TRUTH shall make you FREE” (John 8:31-32).
“If the SON therefore shall make you free, ye shall be FREE indeed” (John 8:36).
Jesus said to him, “I AM the way, and the TRUTH, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6).
Freedom is personal. Freedom is singular. Freedom is individualistic, and comes to individuals, not groups. Hence, individuals are the recipients of freedom, not any whole people-groups.
The man or woman who is “IN” Christ, is a FREE man or woman by virtue of the freedom Christ purchased.
The war for freedom has already been waged and won by Christ Jesus, the Captain of our salvation.
Christ Jesus, not Abraham Lincoln, was “The Great Emancipator,” who liberated every human being who will surrender his/her life to Him.
It was Christ on an Old Rugged Cross at Calvary more than 2,000 years ago who with a three-word declaration—”It is finished!”—liberated all men from tyranny of the king of darkness and evil, not the First Continental Congress at Philadelphia in 1776.
Freedom is not external, but an internal matter of the heart.
Freedom is a mindset—of those whom the Son has set free and therefore BELIEVE they are free.
Freedom is not a racial people-group thing or a product of groupthink, but an individual thing—as an individual thinks in his heart (Pro. 23:7). Thus, free is the individual who thinks in his heart he is free!
Freedom, therefore, cannot be stolen, suppressed, or suspended, that is, to the person who believes in his heart he is free! No man who knows he is free can be enslaved or taken captive.
Freedom does not come as a result of group marches, demonstrations, rallies, riots, and flash-mobs, but by FAITH in the Son of God who sets all captives of the human race free.
“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions” (Pro. 10:11-12).
The real captor, slave-master, oppressor, and adversary of all men is no man at all, but the DEVIL (1 Pet. 5:8; Acts 10:38). It is against him that all must take up the “good fight of faith” (1Ti. 1:18; 6:12; 2Ti. 4:7).
Despite on the surface sounding redundant, the Holy Spirit admonishes all bona fide believers in Christ: “It was for FREEDOM that CHRIST set us free; therefore keep standing firm [in that freedom obtained by Christ] and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1; bracketed elucidation added). The import is that Christ set believers free for the purpose of us being free in all aspects of life and the burden to maintain and manage—i.e., to keep standing firm—in the freedom or personal autonomy Christ purchased for us and to refuse to be subject again to any yoke of slavery anyone attempts to place upon our necks is subsequently upon each and every individual believer.
Real freedom comes and has come as a fait accompli only to the brethren in Christ; but if you spend your life using that freedom as an opportunity to operate in the carnal nature, thereby consuming others by the sinful deeds of the flesh, you negate that freedom in your own life, spiritually incarcerate yourself in a spiritual cell of judgment, and will end up yourself being consumed by the flesh:
For you were called to FREEDOM, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. (Gal 5:13-15)
Freedom was obtained by Christ for all men of every race—i.e., the entire human race—and cannot be obtained by men for any man of any race.
Freedom is received down on one’s knees in prayer in a moment of solitary self-examination, surrender, and repentance, not by hundreds or thousands marching in the streets shouting angry slogans and grievances.
The anger of man—that is, fleshly anger—can never achieve the righteousness of God (Jas. 1:20). Fleshly anger of the carnal nature, which is “the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 2:20), which is the spirit of Satan, is of an entirely different realm than the just righteous indignation of God. Genuine believers “have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires,” and therefore do not walk in them or act them out, but rather walk in and act out the opposite Spirit in response to the unjust, unrighteous, undeserved attitudes and actions of others:
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Gal. 5:19-24)
The authors of the U.S. Declaration of Independence merely recognized and restated what was already obtained and stated by Christ and God when they wrote: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created EQUAL, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
God the SON is the solitary Source of genuine freedom, not Jesse Jack-SON. Jesus, not Jesse, is the real Champion of Salvation who once and for all obtained real freedom for all humanity. Every so-called, “social activist” who has ever lived was/is totally incapable of obtaining real freedom for anyone. Fact is: real freedom is not a social but a spiritual matter.
The true King of freedom is the King of Kings and Lord of lords, the King of Peace, not Martin Luther King, or any other social activist.
Freedom cannot be won in human courts, but was won more than two-thousand years ago on the Cross of Calvary and upheld by the Supreme Justice in the true Supreme Court of Heaven, who will ultimately judge all men according to their deeds, whether good or bad (2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Cor. 11:15; Rev. 20:12,13).
The Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4) and Apostle and True High Priest (Heb. 3:1), Jesus Christ, is the One who is the sole Source and Administrator of real freedom, not the president of the United States and his administration.
The U.S. Attorney General is not the holder of real freedom, but rather the One who holds the sun, moon, and stars in his hands, “The One who holds the seven stars [symbolizing the Church Jesus is building] in His right hand” (Rev. 2:1), “holds His priesthood permanently” (Heb. 7:24), and “the One who holds (the genuine believers’) hand when he falls” so that he is not hurled headlong (Psa. 37:24).
Christ Jesus is the One who was sent by God with the Spirit of the Lord GOD upon Him, and anointed with the anointing that breaks every yoke of bondage, to bring good news to the afflicted, bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners (Isa. 61:1; Lk. 4:18,19)
The conduct, behavior, and life of believers is governed by and reflects what they believe. People act out in their lives their bona fide beliefs. Those who have been set free by the Son, are commanded to “ACT as FREE MEN”: “ACT as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God” (1 Pet. 2:16). The man or woman who ACTS free—FREE TO OBEY GOD—can never be taken captive or subjected to bondage of any kind by anyone—ever! The Apostle Paul, wrote two-thirds of the New Testament as a man free in Christ, despite being chained to walls of prison cells and to elite Roman soldiers charged with his safe transport to Rome to testify before Caesar! Freedom is a mindset inaccessible to marauders.
Real freedom knows no nationality or race, except the “Chosen Race” and the “Holy Nation,” which is composed of all the Blood-Washed Redeemed (1 Pet. 2:9).
When you truly know and walk in accordance with these truths about real freedom, you can add your voice to the choir of multitudes of “freedom-fighters” afore who with stirred hearts and resolute minds have sung that familiar refrain of the old Negro Spiritual, with which Martin Luther King ended his final “I Have A Dream” speech:
“FREE at last. FREE at last. Thank God Almighty, I’m FREE at last!”
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