Freedom Is An Illusion

Freedom is an illusion. You are not free to do whatever you want to do, especially if what you want to do is outside of the law. When we are young we all look forward to the freedom of adulthood, but all adults know the many things that destroy any thought of being free. It is no different for those who avoid the "control" of Yahweh.

I have spoken to countless people who believe that religion is intended to control and enslave us. They really believe that they are free without Jesus. Many are so blind that they can't see that they aren't even in control of their emotions or their tongue, let alone their actions and their environment.

Yesterday I couldn't get past this verse from Colossians :

He rescued us from the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. He set us free through the Son and forgave our sins. (1:13-14)

We can't mistake the language here, "control of darkness", "transferred", "set us free". Do we trust and and believe the Word? Do we accept the language here that conveys the truth of what Father has done for us through the Son? Then consider what Jesus taught:

“I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave isn’t a permanent member of the household, but a son is. Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you really will be free." (John 8:34-36)

This is the condition of everyone before the blood of Jesus is applied; we are slaves to sin, with an illusion of control but possessing no control. We can't stop ourselves from doing the things that offend the holiness of Yahweh. Father loves us too much to want us to be under the control of darkness so he set us free through the Son. But that freedom is freedom from the control of sin, not free to do whatever we want. Paul explains it:

Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, that you are slaves of the one whom you obey? That’s true whether you serve as slaves of sin, which leads to death, or as slaves of the kind of obedience that leads to righteousness. But thank God that although you used to be slaves of sin, you gave wholehearted obedience to the teaching that was handed down to you, which provides a pattern. Now that you have been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. (Romans 6:16-18)

Wow! These verses speak life into us as we realize the extent of what Father has done for us through the Son. Indeed, we are set free from the control of darkness and are made alive in Jesus. Sin no longer controls us! So now we lay down our lives in gratitude and love, and are controlled by his righteousness. Look what Paul concludes:

But now that you have been set free from sin and become slaves to God, you have the consequence of a holy life, and the outcome is eternal life. The wages that sin pays are death, but God’s gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (v. 22-23)

There is a cost to being a disciple of Jesus, obedience in love. Paul used the metaphor of slavery to paint the picture of what attitude we need to adopt here. Now consider again the verse from Colossians:

He rescued us from the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. He set us free through the Son and forgave our sins.

We have been adopted and have been placed in the Kingdom. We have been taken from the enemy's camp and brought into the camp of Light. We are Kingdom dwellers, citizens, followers, believers. So let's start behaving like citizens, throwing off the old slave master and submitting ourselves to the law of righteousness that comes from love. If we love him, we will obey.