The Confounding Nature Of Freedom

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Freedom is frequently misunderstood. A false narrative of freedom can cause us to become egocentric and self-absorbed. This notion seeks to isolate and separate people into autonomous beings. Left unchecked, the freedom the world promotes enslaves rather than liberates. Discover the true meaning of freedom in today’s message.

Thomas Jefferson wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These words from the Declaration of Independence are as true today as the day they were written. Politically speaking, all people have the right to be free. Spiritually speaking however, authentic freedom is not attainable without the grace of Jesus Christ.

Spiritual freedom is a profound and complex concept that goes far beyond the outward trappings of political or social liberation. While Independence Day celebrations may evoke images of flags, parades, and fireworks, the true freedom that Christ offers is of a deeper, more transformative nature.

Genuine freedom is not found in simply casting off external constraints, but in aligning our will with the will of God. Christ’s grace is not in any way a rival of our freedom when our freedom is lived in accordance with the sense of the true and the good that God put in the human heart. True freedom, then, is not the ability to do whatever we please, but the capacity to choose what is good and right.

Too often people fall into the trap of believing their personal freedoms are jeopardized or stifled by God’s laws and commandments. In fact, it is quite the opposite. True authentic freedom grows and flourishes when we fulfill the will of the Father. This type of freedom is not something we can achieve on our own but is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit longs to guide us in our exercise of freedom so that we can better collaborate in the work of Christ’s Kingdom.

Sin in the world, and sin in our own lives, robs us of the fullness of freedom. Sin actually enslaves us and steals our freedom. Christ came to rescue us from this slavery. It is only through His redemptive power that we can be truly liberated from the bondage of our own disordered desires and the various ways of the world that seek to control us.

Gaining freedom over sin is a lifelong process. Over time, we are challenged to grow in truth so that we can become better followers of Christ and in doing so experience deeper and authentic freedom.

In contrast to the temporary, external freedoms celebrated on the 4th of July in the United States, the freedom that Christ offers is both more elusive and more profound. Through Christ and only through Christ we slowly hope to obtain freedom from sin and from everything that enslaves us. We seek a liberation that frees us from our self-preoccupation and allows us to serve God and neighbor with the spirit of Christ-like love. This authentic freedom is won not through political revolution, but through the ongoing transformation of our hearts and minds by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The freedom God wants us to have, is a freedom that invites us into community. It’s a freedom that makes us one in the Body of Christ. We are freed from an egocentric, self-obsessed life to be a community, united not by nationality or ethnicity, but by the shared experience of being redeemed by Christ and called to live as His disciples. This freedom is not something we can possess or control, but a gift that must be continually received and nurtured through our relationship with the Lord.

The confounding nature of true, authentic freedom is found not in independence, but in dependence – not in casting off all constraints, but in willingly submitting our lives to the loving guidance of God. The freedom that Christ offers is not a means of self-actualization, but a call to self-surrender. We choose to die to ourselves so that we might truly live in him.

True authentic freedom is not won through human effort, but rather it is a gift of grace that must be continually received and nurtured throughout our lives. This type of freedom compels us to have an intimate knowledge of and a relationship with Jesus. It requires prayer and sacrifice.

This past week the people of the United States rightly celebrated their political freedom. Now you and I need to evaluate our spiritual freedom. We need to ask ourselves some difficult questions.

• Spiritually speaking, how free am I right now?
• What things in my life are robbing my spiritual freedom?
• To what am I enslaved?
• For the sake of independence am I willing to become dependent on God?

Heavenly Father, the ways of the world and the sin in my life seek to destroy the freedom you want me to experience. Grant me an unwavering commitment to your Son, and help me always to walk in His footsteps, so that I may be truly free. Amen!  

___________________________

Special Reminder

I encourage you to send our new brochure to your pastor or the person at your church who is in charge or arranging retreats. I would love to put on a retreat at your church. Please click this link to download our brochure and email it today.

___________________________

 AMDG

As always, I love to hear from you. You can email me by clicking here.

Please take a moment to share your thoughts about today’s message below.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Brian Pusateri

Brian is a Christian author and speaker. Brian, a lifelong Catholic, felt his life was forever changed when God spoke to his heart while attending an eight day silent Christian retreat in November of 2011. Soon after that retreat Brian founded 4th Day Letters and Broken Door Ministries. With the God inspired message of mercy and unconditional love that was placed on his heart during that retreat, Brian has been impacting others all over the country and around the world with his weekly letters, his talks, and his all day Christian retreats. In June of 2014, Brian’s life was again impacted in a very dramatic way when his eyesight suddenly became permanently impaired. The initial diagnosis was Multiple Scleroses (MS) but in December of 2019 the diagnosis was corrected to MOG antibody disease, a rare neurological disease. This health challenge has only served to draw Brian closer to God and bolster the importance of this timely yet ageless message.

Latest posts by Brian Pusateri (see all)

• Are We There Yet? - September 14, 2024
• Returning to Our Former Ways - September 8, 2024
• The Boxer Makes A Comeback - September 2, 2024