Do You Thirst for Freedom?

Freedom is the ability to make choices.  When we study the first several chapters of Genesis, we see that both Adam and Eve were created with the ability to make decisions.  God told them not to eat of the fruit of the tree that He set aside for Himself; however, yielding to the temptation of Satan and accepting his lies, they chose to disobey their Creator and follow the deceptions of Satan, who was speaking through the serpent.  This account shows us two important truths: first, Adam and Eve had the freedom to choose, and, second, they were held responsible for the choices they made.

People like to make choices, but when their choices result in failure, they often want to blame someone else for those choices.  However, when their choices are shown to be wise, they are quite ready to accept accolades for those choices. Our Creator gives us the opportunity to make choices, but He, also, holds us responsible for the outcome of those decisions just as He held Adam and Eve responsible for their choice to disobey Him. They died!

In Romans 6:16, the Apostle Paul notes:  16” If you give yourselves to be slaves and obey your master, you are not free. You are his slaves. Do you not know this: you may be slaves to wrong things? But you will not live forever. Or you may be slaves to obey God. Then you will be made good people and live with him.”

In Matthew 6:24 Christ says, -24 “No man can work for two masters. He will hate one and love the other. Or he will obey one and despise the other.…”    You see, friend, we cannot serve both Christ and Satan.  Some Christians want to take the name of Christ but also cling to self and the values of Satan.

Teens, especially, long for adulthood so that they can have the freedom to make their own choices.   In the magazine Family lIfe, Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice write the following: “Do you know that your teen is addicted? The fact is, even if our kids have never touched an addictive substance, they’re still hooked on something with a high far greater than anything a basement lab can conjure up. This intoxicating agent is called freedom. And as it turns out, a lot of behavior that confuses and even alarms parents can be tied directly to a child’s desperate quest for the rush of freedom.”  Teens, especially, tend to forget that along with freedom of choice comes responsibility for that choice.  Promiscuity, alcohol, and other drugs will produce results that can be expected to lead to the yoke of slavery, addiction, and, often, death. A few days ago a national news program reported that in the United States, 91 people die daily of drugs of various sorts.

If we are looking for joy, we can find joy and happiness in following the pathway to success Christian living outlined for us in the Bible. The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 5: 19-26: The wrong things the sinful self does are clear: being sexually unfaithful, not being pure, taking part in sexual sins, 20 worshiping gods, doing witchcraft, hating, making trouble, being jealous, being angry, being selfish, making people angry with each other, causing divisions among people, 21 feeling envy, being drunk, having wild and wasteful parties, and doing other things like these. I warn you now as I warned you before: Those who do these things will not inherit God’s kingdom. 22 But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. There is no law that says these things are wrong. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their own sinful selves. They have given up their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do. 25 We get our new life from the Spirit, so we should follow the Spirit. 26 We must not be proud or make trouble with each other or be jealous of each other.

Paul is clear! If we wish long-term peace and joy that will lead to lasting happiness, following the values lived and taught by Christ, will, in the end, bring us to eternal life in the new heavens and the new earth described for us by John in Revelation 21: 1-5: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and there was no sea anymore. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It was prepared like a bride dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Now God’s presence is with people, and he will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain, because all the old ways are gone.” 5 The One who was sitting on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted.”

May God give us wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit to make wise choices, daily.  Until next week, may God richly bless you and yours.

Contact: fhevener@oilart.com; (434) 392-6255; www.guthriememorial.org

© Fillmer Hevener, 2017