Freedom

 I tell you the truth: everyone who commits sin surrenders his freedom to sin. He is a slave to sin’s power. Even a household slave does not live in the home like a member of the family, but a son belongs there forever. So think of it this way: if the Son comes to make you free, you will really be free.

John 8:34-36, The Voice

Freedom can be allusive to disciples of Jesus if sin is able to gain a foothold in a our life. Sin may manifest itself through addiction, fear, lack of love or lack of identity. Jesus is making the case that He has come to set the captives free from the slavery of sin. Faith in Him shifts from the household of hell to the household of heaven. A child of God is free not to sin.

Here are three ways disciples of Jesus have been set free from sin:

Free From Addiction “The beauty of your new situation is this: now that you are free from sin, you are free to serve a different master” (Romans 6:18, The Voice).

A good friend has been free from his addiction to alcohol for over 500 days. How? A loving intervention from two family members who loved him more than allowing him to stay stuck in his pain, challenged him to get help. Their love gave him permission to do what he wanted to do, but lacked the moral resolve. Once he received professional help and re-surrendered to Jesus, he was set free from sin to begin making healthy life choices. And now he is engaged to marry, by God’s grace, the woman of his dreams, beloved by the Lord and beautiful (inside and out). Freedom from addiction starts by recognizing it as sin and then humbly seeking help.

Free From Fear “You see, you have not received a spirit that returns you to slavery, so you have nothing to fear. The Spirit you have received adopts you and welcomes you into God’s own family. That’s why we call out to Him, “Abba! Father!” as we would address a loving daddy” (Romans 8:15, The Voice).

Fear loses its voice and influence over your life when your spiritual ears become attuned to the truth of who you now serve as a follower of Jesus. The shackles of shame and guilt have been broken by the blood of Christ on the cross, purchasing you out of your old way of life. Your new Master, Father God, has a face of love not harshness, hands of comfort, a kind voice of wisdom and feet to show you the way. No need to look back on your slavery to sin, call out instead to your Abba, Father as you would address a loving daddy. Fear flees in the face of your loving Father. The Holy Spirit has adopted you into a heavenly home—full of peace, acceptance and love. Learn to be at home with the Lord’s love, resting in who you are: a beloved child of God. 

Free To Love “Brothers and sisters, God has called you to freedom! Hear the call, and do not spoil this gift by using your liberty to engage in what your flesh desires; instead, use it to serve each other as Jesus taught through love.” (Galatians 5:13, The Voice).

Love is relational currency! And, because you are free from the crushing debt of sin, you now have the riches of love to spend in service to others. A love without expectations of being paid back, a love that compounds with character dividends over time and a love that points people to the Lord Jesus Christ. Spread the seeds of generous love and reap a harvest of lives growing deeper in love with God and each other. Love guarantees relational success, because it looks out for what’s best for another. Use your freedom to love for the greater good of serving the least. Be an extravagant lover with a vulnerable heart, and watch others be set free from sin’s bondage! 

“God chose us to be in a relationship with Him even before He laid out plans for this world; He wanted us to live holy lives characterized by love, free from sin, and blameless before Him” (Ephesians 1:4, The Voice).

Bear it

 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 

1 Thessalonians 5:14

Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” The word, “bear” comes from a Greek word which means “to carry, to take up” or to take away or carry off. The word burden comes from a Greek word which means “a weight.”

When you put these two words together, “bear” and “weight”, it means to take away or carry off the weight someone else is experiencing. Essentially, it means to bring relief and comfort to someone else’s life. 

In “The Law of Christ”  John Piper writes: 

“If a Christian brother or sister is weighed down or menaced by some burden or threat, be alert to that and quickly do something to help. Don't let them be crushed. Don't let them be destroyed.”

This doesn’t seem too difficult when you bear someone’s financial burden . . . so you buy them groceries. And it doesn’t seem too difficult when you bear a physical burden by taking someone to the doctor.

But when someone is experiencing a burden you can’t in any way solve, such as mental illness, a midlife crisis, a broken heart, or an ailing marriage, what can you do to bear their burden when you can’t fix their problem? How can you bear their emotional burden without getting crushed under the weight of it yourself when your heart is hurting for them? 

This is what I have been wrestled with many a time in my life. I love the individual. They have no idea how seeing them struggle emotionally and spiritually is breaking my heart. I so want what is good for them. It deeply pains me to see them confused and hurting. 

I was reminded that I cannot force them to see truth. I cannot make them understand. I cannot make them seek help. But I can pray, and in this way I can bear their burden. 

But in praying, I’ve realized there is one thing I must do: I must give the burden I am carrying for them to Jesus. I must let Him have it, or I will get crushed under the weight of it, under the weight of its sadness. Bearing another’s burdens can be crushing if we don’t know what to do with the burdens. But if we know what to do with them, we can experience hope. 

Bearing someone’s burden takes deep courage, faith, and trust. It takes courage to pray, and when needed, to speak truth. It also takes faith and trust to put the one you pray for into God’s loving hands and trust Him for an outcome that you cannot control. It means trusting that the Lord loves them more than you do. 

He knows the needs of the one you cover in prayer. He sees their heartbreak. You are simply called to stand in the gap for them, seek God on their behalf, and ask Him to move for them. 

Bearing one another’s burdens can be difficult, but our load can be made lighter when we know Who to trust, and who to give the other person’s burden to so we are not crushed under it.

Good > Evil

 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 

1 Peter 5:10

People have been asking why God allows evil in the world since the beginning of time. Why does He allow bad things to happen? Why does He allow people to hurt one another? Why does He allow death, disease, and emotional and relational pain? Why do disasters happen? Why do nations battle? 

I imagine there are many reasons, some of which I do not understand. But one clear reason is so He can draw people to Himself. 

A great example of this truth is in Acts 7 where the story of Stephen’s stoning is recorded. When Stephen was testifying about Christ to the Jewish Sanhedrin, the council became so angry that they rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and stoned him to death (Acts 7:57-58).

If we look at what happened to Stephen with eyes that discount God’s presence, or with a perspective that ignores the Lord’s providence or love, it seems evil has won. There appears to be no reason for God to allow such persecution. 

But we must remember that God doesn’t see things the way we do. His ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). And, what seems like evil without purpose is always allowed by the Lord for good.

Christ never allows a sifting, shattering, heartbreak, hurt, trial, tumult, persecution, or problem without reason. God uses all things in His Kingdom for redemption as well as reconciliation (Romans 5:3-5). Nothing is ever wasted in His economy. 

In Stephen’s case, his stoning set off a tidal wave of persecution that scattered the Lord’s followers, (with the exception of the apostles), throughout the provinces of Judea and Samaria. (Acts 8:1)

This meant more people could hear about Christ and learn of His love. Because of persecution, not in spite of persecution, the gospel spread. “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (Acts 8:4).

This is a reminder that God uses evil for good. It’s a reminder that what brings temporary discomfort for us could mean eternal blessings for someone else. And it’s also a reminder that we do ourselves a mighty favor when we remember that He is the Potter and we are the clay (Isaiah 64:8) and that our lives are not our own (Jeremiah 10:23).

This is what the believers who were scattered experienced. But I wonder how they must have felt. They had experienced close fellowship with one another. Undoubtedly, they shared a profound fullness of joy in Jesus through their community.

And then. . . to have their normal lives ripped away, what pain. And also, what joy mingled in with sorrow too as they were scattered and were able to share Jesus’ love everywhere they went.  

During difficult times, we must remember that the Lord doesn’t waste anything, not even the worst things. We must remember that He works all things out according to His good and perfect will (Ephesians 1:11), for His good and glory (Romans 8:28).

We must also remember that life most often makes sense in the rearview mirror. Therefore, the hurt you experience now may not seem that it serves any purpose. But you will understand, either in the here and now or the then and there. 

“So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you” (2 Corinthians 4:12).

Moving forward

 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. 

Isaiah 48:17-18 (ESV)

As our world slowly recovers from a season of crisis and begins to return to some levels of what some would called normal. We as individuals are faced with a similar set of questions and decisions that lie before us. What does it look like for you to emerge from this extended season of winter? 

For some, this spring feels endless in possibility, bursting with life and pent up energy. For others, while the world may spring to life all around, you remain in the depths of a dark winter, overcome by the grief and loss brought upon you and those you love during this pandemic. Perhaps you find yourself somewhere in the middle, neither joyful nor despondent, but suffering from the general malaise of apathy and exhaustion. 

In times like these, we know that we are meant to move forward, yet it can be difficult to discern where exactly we are meant to go.

Life is a journey, and movement is an essential piece of the puzzle, but movement in and of itself is neither virtuous or the point. To be redemptive and life-giving, our movement needs an aim and a destination. And so, before any one of us launches out into this new season of life, we must ask ourselves a fundamental question: am I being led?

In our desire for change, renewal, and growth, we must never assume our desire for these things means we know where to go to find them! As the old country song says, we so often are “lookin’ for love in all the wrong places.” Our ability to see clearly is often hindered, and this is especially true in times of extended crisis, grief, or exhaustion. 

Just because you desire something, even your deepest desires and longings, does not mean they are for your good or the good of your neighbor. For example, coming out of a season of economic loss and uncertainty, it is easy to justify excessive spending in the name of self-care or self-improvement. Cancelled vacations or long-anticipated experiences may leave us feeling wronged or slighted, with a goal in the coming season to make up for what was lost. 

It seems to me our greatest temptation in this moment is and will continue to be a heightened move towards self-preservation and personal fulfillment. Understandable as this may be, our first impulse as followers of Christ should not be towards “getting what is ours” but towards humility and daily repentance. Let us have a heightened attentiveness to our own motivations and desires in this season. Realize that your exhaustion can become a daily temptation to shut yourself off from the needs of others. Pay attention to this, but more importantly, as Isaiah reminds us today, pay attention to the Lord, who loves us and leads us in the way we should go.