Putting on Freedom!

​I was an adult when I finally came to grips with how often I wasn’t living in the freedom God had for me. I don’t think I understood how prone I was to wander from one prison into another. Although I’ve never been physically imprisoned a single day in my life, that doesn’t mean I wasn’t mentally and spiritually imprisoned. I have come to believe that not living free is an ever-present battle as a result of the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden.
 
Ever since we decided that we would like to run our lives instead of entrusting that to God we lost our peace. We claimed to be able to handle what God alone can do. Humanity decided to claim that we can do this “life thing” better without God. In fact, we have claimed in a million different ways that we are free and independent. In our humanistic passion for freedom from the God of Truth, we abandoned the only source of freedom that can truly deliver the goods, so to speak.
 
God declares to me very clearly in His Word what I need to live free.

• He is my Creator and Sustainer.
• He tells me that I have immense value simply because He declares me valuable.
• He tells me what is true and what isn’t.
• He reveals to me the things that are good and beautiful.
• He is my source of peace for today and hope for tomorrow.

This list could go on and on, but I think you have enough to go on.
 
Then there is life without God. So, we need to create our own freedom.

• My existence and being are simply by chance.
• I need to earn my value by proving I am better and more worthy than others.
• Truth is all relative, therefore I will always choose the path that is “best” for me.
• Good is defined as what gives me pleasure in the moment.
• Peace and Hope are illusions. I just need to live for the moment and make a name for myself!

So, these two perspectives boil down to living a God defined life or a “Nick defined life.” I have found that I have a very tough time defining life rightly. When I attempt to do God’s job, I fall far short every time. I end up imprisoned in pride or fear. Or I care too much what others think or maybe I don’t care enough. I will end up feeling like I don’t measure up or I notice so many of the imperfections in others. At this stage of my life, it is very apparent to me that it is only in claiming my unearned position as a Child of God that I find myself actually living free.
 
This Sunday we will be looking at Galatians 3:23-29 and finding that our peace and hope are found in God’s grace. We will see that even in our tendency for rebelling against God’s rule – He is relentless in His pursuit to bring is freedom. God’s love for us is tenacious and He wants us set free from all the prisons we keep locking ourselves up in. Jesus came to “set the captives free” – and that glorious declaration is for us. See ya Sunday!
 
In Christ,
Pastor Nick