What does freedom mean...
Amy Peters is trying to get me all political, now. And I'm not going to do it. Well, maybe a little bit.
For some, freedom means minimum government regulation; people are basically good until given power and authority, which then corrupts. For others, freedom means minimum societal regulation; a person is basically good, and democratic government brings out the best ideas - but society is corrupt and oppressive, hindering the individual from achieving their dreams. That's the political aspect. Jesus Christ says the natural man is corrupt and oppressive, and only through the renewing of our minds and reliance on God do we find freedom.
This sort of freedom does not require life around you to be ordered a certain way. It does not matter where you live, what form of government you have, who is in power in that government. It doesn't matter who your neighbor is; what level of education you have; it cannot be granted by man or taken away by man.
Yes, I am incredibly blessed to be a white male in America. My life is unfairly easy. I have freedoms I don't even recognize, can't even be grateful for. I don't say these things because of personal experience, but I think that gives me one unfair advantage: it allows me to say it because of what Scripture says, without the distraction of the experience of the flesh.
Even it my unfairly blessed life, I find myself constantly distracted by the concerns of this life - constantly drawn away from my belief in God because of what I want to see and experience while on this earth. I stand with Peter on the water, in the midst of Jesus' singular miracle, and all I see are the waves.
True freedom is when we stand with Paul, who was crucified with Christ and no longer lives; the life we now live in the body is by faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:20). True freedom is living in eternity now, in fearing not those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul (Matthew 10:28).
True freedom is not being beat down by individuals, society, or the government, because we know that God clothes the grass and feeds the sparrow, that we are much more valuable than they, and what can man do to me? (Matt. 6:25-34 and Psalm 118:6) Make this life harder? 80 years out of eternity is what percent? Can we not keep watch even a little while? (Matt. 24:42 and 26:40) To do so is not a measure of how easy our life is, but how strong our faith is.
The extent of your freedom, then, is the extent of your faith.
For some, freedom means minimum government regulation; people are basically good until given power and authority, which then corrupts. For others, freedom means minimum societal regulation; a person is basically good, and democratic government brings out the best ideas - but society is corrupt and oppressive, hindering the individual from achieving their dreams. That's the political aspect. Jesus Christ says the natural man is corrupt and oppressive, and only through the renewing of our minds and reliance on God do we find freedom.
This sort of freedom does not require life around you to be ordered a certain way. It does not matter where you live, what form of government you have, who is in power in that government. It doesn't matter who your neighbor is; what level of education you have; it cannot be granted by man or taken away by man.
Yes, I am incredibly blessed to be a white male in America. My life is unfairly easy. I have freedoms I don't even recognize, can't even be grateful for. I don't say these things because of personal experience, but I think that gives me one unfair advantage: it allows me to say it because of what Scripture says, without the distraction of the experience of the flesh.
Even it my unfairly blessed life, I find myself constantly distracted by the concerns of this life - constantly drawn away from my belief in God because of what I want to see and experience while on this earth. I stand with Peter on the water, in the midst of Jesus' singular miracle, and all I see are the waves.
True freedom is when we stand with Paul, who was crucified with Christ and no longer lives; the life we now live in the body is by faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:20). True freedom is living in eternity now, in fearing not those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul (Matthew 10:28).
True freedom is not being beat down by individuals, society, or the government, because we know that God clothes the grass and feeds the sparrow, that we are much more valuable than they, and what can man do to me? (Matt. 6:25-34 and Psalm 118:6) Make this life harder? 80 years out of eternity is what percent? Can we not keep watch even a little while? (Matt. 24:42 and 26:40) To do so is not a measure of how easy our life is, but how strong our faith is.
The extent of your freedom, then, is the extent of your faith.
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