Freedom Comes Only Through ONE PERSON
Years ago (1998), I made a promise to God, one that I intended to keep. This promise was personal and extremely precious, as well as long-lasting to me. The Lord has called me to remember my vow since the promise was made, and though it has not ever really been easy to keep the promise, with the Lord’s help, so far I have been able to stay faithful. Nevertheless, it is because the Holy Spirit of God speaks to me, helping me, convicting me when I start to break my vow, reminding me of my promise.
The Truth Makes Us Free!
- Do you believe it?
- Are you allowing this truth to wash over your entire life, spilling into every crevice?
The Truth Makes Us Free!
- Would you ever ‘willingly’ allow yourself to enter bondage when freedom is a sweeter choice?
- Could you ever live your life, following a deceptive lie rather than follow the well-spoken truth?
In the Bible, the beloved apostle John records the events and conversations of Jesus. One such conversation occurred when the naturally-born Jews were upset at the words of Jesus, when He spoke about their bondage in contrast to His freedom.
This encounter hinged on a key statement.
“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him,
(The Gospel According to John 8: 31-32 NASB)
“If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Truthfully, at that moment, they were ‘up-in-arms’ at the implication of the words Jesus spoke.
The audacity!
- They were naturally-born Jews!
- Their father was Father Abraham!
- They were his descendants! & furthermore,
- NO ONE made them slaves!
- NO ONE held them in bondage!
To say the Jews that day were upset by Jesus’ words puts it mildly. They were furious.
The Son of God was abundantly aware of their emotional state.
Forgive the long passages that I am about to share; however this encounter between Jesus and the Jews is one the world so desperately needs.
“Jesus answered them,
(The Gospel According to John 8: 34-38 NASB)
“Truly, truly,
I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
The slave does not remain in the house forever;
the son does remain forever.
So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
I know that you are Abraham’s descendants;
yet you seek to kill Me,
because My word has no place in you.
I speak the things which I have seen with My Father;
therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.”
There it was—the REAL Truth.
Freedom Comes Only Through ONE PERSON.
Those who Jesus spoke with did NOT belong to Father God but followed the teachings of another father—the father of lies.
We know this to be true by reading the next statement.
“Jesus said to them,
(The Gospel According to John 8: 42-47 NASB)
“If God were your Father, you would love Me,
for I proceeded forth and have come from God,
for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.
Why do you not understand what I am saying?
It is because you cannot hear My word.
You are of your father the devil,
and you want to do the desires of your father.
He was a murderer from the beginning,
and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.
Whenever he speaks a lie,
he speaks from his own nature,
for he is a liar and the father of lies.
But because I speak the truth,
you do not believe Me.
Which one of you convicts Me of sin?
If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?
He who is of God hears the words of God;
for this reason you do not hear them,
because you are not of God.”
“Oh Death” by MercyMe provides a lyrical rendition of the freedom believers and followers of Jesus have over death. Please pause to listen.
- We should not fear anything but God.
- We must not give up the HOPE the Lord has given us.
Truly, the spiritual circumcision God performed on our heart has eternal staying power. We know so because the Bible states it so through the writings of the apostle Paul.
“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
(The Letter of Paul to the Colossians 2: 9-14 NASB)
and in Him you have been made complete,
and He is the head over all rule and authority;
and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands,
in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
having been buried with Him in baptism,
in which you were also raised up with Him
through faith in the working of God,
who raised Him from the dead.
When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
He made you alive together with Him,
having forgiven us all our transgressions,
having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us,
which was hostile to us;
and He has taken it out of the way,
having nailed it to the cross.”
Freedom Comes Only Through ONE PERSON.
“He who is of God hears the words of God; . . .”
The only way I am able to continue to keep my vow made to God in 1998 is through the ONE who saved me. When I am tempted to listen to the lies of the devil, to forego my vow made to God, the Holy Spirit of God speaks to me the words of Truth from my Father. Thus, without the saving grace of God, I would falter. Yet, with the forgiveness of Jesus, I am able to stand in His truth, even when I fail and fall. It is the Lord who picks me up, forgiving me. Thus:
- It is only because of the Promise of God that any of us are ever able to BE FREE. &
- Only through belief in & confession of the work—the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus—is humanity MADE FREE.