ABSOLUTE FREEDOM 

February 27, 2005 ~ Westney Heights Baptist Church

 

Isaiah 61:1-3 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3  To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."

 

John 8:34-36 - Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35  "And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36  "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

 

In 1943, in response to a speech by President Roosevelt in January of 1941, Norman Rockwell completed a series of paintings named "The Four Freedoms." These four freedoms, defined by President Roosevelt as the "fundamental freedoms of all Americans," were portrayed by Rockwell using imagery from the daily lives of typical Americans and were:

 

Freedom from Fear

Freedom from Want

Freedom of Speech

Freedom to Worship

 

To promote the sale of War Bonds "The Four Freedoms" were toured across America in 1943 and eventually resulted in the sale of over $130,000,000 in War Bonds. Today, more than sixty years after their creation, "The Four Freedoms" are perhaps the most treasured of all of Norman Rockwell's works.

 

To my mind the most striking of these paintings is "Freedom from Fear." In this painting a mother and father are tucking their children into bed. The children are sleeping peacefully. Toys are scattered carelessly on the floor. Under the father's arm is a newspaper. It is 1943. World War Two is far from over. Millions have died and millions more will die. In spite of this the children are free to be children. They are shielded by their parents from the terrors of war. Their protection is their children's freedom.

 

Freedom From Fear (Rockwell)

 

We tend to think a great deal about freedom. At each of the various stages of our lives we will have dreamed of many different forms of freedom: adulthood, our driver's license, a job, the weekend, a vacation, childhood, retirement, health to name just several from a seemingly endless list. Every day, in a multitude of ways we yearn for and celebrate freedom. Is this the freedom that Jesus is speaking of when He says that He will make us free indeed? Does He really mean that when He sets us free the mortgage no longer needs to be paid? Is He really saying that He will set us free from the things that plague us in this life or does He mean something else altogether?

 

In our dictionaries freedom is defined as the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints. Our childhood's dream of adulthood is the desire to be independent. Our adulthood's dream of childhood is the desire to be free from responsibility and enjoy a life without care. In each case the dreamed of freedom is idealized. A child dreaming of being an adult wants the independence that the adult has but does not understand the responsibility that accompanies it. An adult dreaming of being a child wants the carefree life that the child has but does not remember that a child is incapable of doing things that most adults take for granted. An examination of any dream of freedom shows that the things which limit that freedom are ignored or ununderstood. When the longed for freedom is realized it eventually becomes clear that it did not result in the removal of restrictions but in the exchange of one set of restrictions for another. The difference between an adult contentedly remembering childhood and an adult desperately reliving childhood is that one has learned to live within the restrictions of adulthood while the other keeps trying to overcome them.

 

It is impossible to find a freedom in which there are no limits. The pursuit of freedom, to be as free as possible while one is alive, is an acknowledgement of the one unavoidable restraint placed on life that no one can change: Death. Death will always be the ultimate restraint to our freedom regardless of how we have lived our lives or how much freedom we have enjoyed. The dictionary's definition of freedom is therefore missing several words: True freedom is not the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints but the power to act or speak or think without being impeded by externally imposed restraints.

 

If we look more closely at what Jesus said we see that He is contrasting the freedom He provides to the slavery of sin.

 

John 8:34-36Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35  "And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36  "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

 

He raises several point here that bear consideration:

 

1 – Sin

2 – Slavery that is the result of sin

3 – The temporary state of the slave

4 – The permanent state of the son

 

Jesus calls the one who sins a slave of sin and goes on to say that the slave does not live in the house forever but that the son does. The slave will be cast out while the son will remain. Forever. But what house? The writer of the letter to the Hebrews refers to the house as the creation of God, the place in which His creation lives, as well as the people of God themselves:

 

Hebrews 3:1-6 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, 2  who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. 3  For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. 4  For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. 5  And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, 6  but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

 

Peter says that the son in the house will not be put to shame:

 

1 Peter 2:4-6 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5  you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6  Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."

 

Jesus shows that this definition of house extends on into eternity by His using the phrase "a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever." So once our lives, and our various pursuits of freedom, have come to an end, the son will abide for all eternity with God in heaven.

 

By teaching that "whoever commits sin is a slave of sin" who "will not abide in the house forever" Jesus showed us that the total freedom of an unrestrained lifestyle is freedom in thought only. Man is still under the authority of God and will result in a complete and total loss of freedom. What this means is that there always a restraint of some kind acting as a limit to freedom. Freedom according to the definition in our dictionaries just does not exist, it is a freedom like that of a fish jumping out of a fishbowl to enjoy the freedom of the world beyond the glass. We flop around, we gasp, we say "Isn't this lovely, I'm not enclosed by walls any more" and we die. It is only in the fishbowl that a fish is free to be all that he can be – a fish – and fully exploit his potential. Remove him from the fishbowl and potential is removed as well. The freedom that the world craves is a freedom to die. The freedom that the world sells will destroy the mind, body and soul.

 

So when Jesus says that He will make us truly free He is not saying that we will finally have no limits once we put our faith in Him. When we put our faith in Jesus we are finally living as we were designed to live. We are still slaves but slaves to God who gives life rather than to sin which results in death. We are free to live as we were designed to live. Elsewhere, Micah defines that purpose:

 

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

 

Paul uses words like slavery, dominion, death and life to define Christian freedom:

 

Romans 6:1-23 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2  Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3  Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5  For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6  knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7  For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9  knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13  And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14  For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15  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? 17  But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18  And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19  I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. 20  For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21  What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22  But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

The point that both Jesus and Paul are making is that perfect freedom exists but only in the context of our ultimate allegiance, the ultimate source of the restrictions that we face. Isaiah wrote that there was a purpose to the freedom we received through Jesus. After recounting all that the Messiah would accomplish, words that Jesus Himself used to reassure John the Baptist that He is the one that was promised, Isaiah writes that all these accomplishments would be "the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."

 

Why?

 

The glory of God! When we get to Heaven we may receive a "Well done, good and faithful servant," but all praise and glory will be given to God. In the prophecy of Revelation John describes the scene in Heaven when Jesus, portrayed as the Lamb of God, comes 'on stage:'

 

Revelation 4:6-14 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!" 13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" 14 Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.

 

Jesus will be praised and given glory in Heaven because of what He accomplished for us on Earth: Forgiveness from sin! The undeserved mercy of God poured out upon mankind to restore man to fellowship with his creator. Through the voluntary sacrifice of Jesus in our place we are no longer slaves to sin. The context in which Isaiah is writing this prophecy is that of the prisoner set free, the infirm healed:

 

Isaiah 61:1-3 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3  To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."

 

This is the ultimate freedom: Forgiveness from sin. Those outside of Christianity see the "rules" of our faith, the things we can and cannot do, and wonder how come we're always smiling. Those of us inside Christianity see not the rules but a God who loved us so much that He did what was necessary, what we ourselves could not do, to free us from the burden of sin and death:

 

Romans 8:1-4 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3  For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4  that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

 

It is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that separates us from those who are still slaves to their sin.

 

Romans 8:5-8 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6  For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8  So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9  But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

 

This is not a freedom of no restriction but one of restrictions that are not oppressive:

 

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29  "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30  "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

 

It is a freedom where our desires never take us beyond what would restrict our activity. I'm not allowed to steal? OK, I didn't want to anyway, I have everything that I need. I'm not allowed to take the Lord's name in vain? Excellent! I'd never want to use His name like that. I'm not allowed to loose myself to substances? Great! I'd rather loose myself in the wonders of my God. It is not that we are restricted but that our restrictions do not matter. They are like the fence around a child's play area. Sure, the child cannot go beyond the fence and in some way that is restrictive. But all that is good for the child is within the fence so why would the child want what is beyond it. The restrictions tell us where limits are that we would never want to stretch to begin with.

 

King David of Israel put this freedom into perspective very effectively in comparing the freedom we have as God's children with the freedom of the sheep under a shepherd's care:

 

Psalm 23:1-6 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2  He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3  He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.