False Sense of Freedom

Verse of the day: Judges 16:21, Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison.

I will begin with a lie from the pits of hell, “God only wants to restrict us and keep us from enjoying life.” Sadly, not only does the world think that Christians are crazy for living a life that seems like prison, but some Christians also live as if following God’s Word would keep them from enjoying life. The truth is that the greatest freedom we will ever experience here on earth is the freedom that comes from knowing and living the truth. What truth? There is only one truth…the truth of God’s Word. John 8:31-32 tells us, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” Far too many of us are busy focusing on what the world is doing and enjoying, and envying all the “fun” they are having with their “freedom”. Yet, if we would just stop and take a closer look at their lives, we would observe that along with all their “fun” they are up to their eyeballs in debt, experiencing all kinds of troubles and anxieties. All of the freedom they are allegedly enjoying, in reality, is enslaving them and bringing many to the point of suicide. Is this the lifestyle we envy? In Christ, we have many freedoms. However, we must never use our freedoms (or liberties) as excuses to sin. Galatians 5:13 tells us, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” 1 Peter 2:15-16 also tells us, “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.” Samson’s life of “freedom”, doing whatever he pleased in respect to women and compromising his consecration to God, landed him in bondage. Our false sense of freedom will lead us to true imprisonment. Romans 6:15-16 clearly reminds us, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” The bottom line is that the only true freedom we can have is in Christ, and Christ alone. However, that freedom cannot be truly enjoyed if we choose to be part-time Christians, only living for the Lord when it is convenient for us. I guarantee that if we choose to live this way, like Samson, one day our sinful living will bind us in fetters with consequences that will be far too great for us to bear. If we want to truly be free, we must become slaves to righteousness and bondservant to the Lord Jesus Christ; for there is no other Master who is as good as He is or who will give us kind of freedom He gives.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).