Freedom for Slaves

Psalm 119 is known for being by far the longest chapter in the Bible, but it also ought to be recognised for its praise of God's Law and righteous precepts.  In nearly every single verse the psalmist magnifies God's laws, statutes, precepts, commandments, and testimonies.  It is ironic a common complaint about Christianity is all the restrictive rules and requirements, yet the psalmist saw things completely differently.  In God's Law the psalmist saw freedom, not a prison.  A man who follows his own heart is enslaved to his own lust, yet the man who seeks God's counsel to walk in His judgment finds himself free from the power of sin.

Psalm 119:45 says, "And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts."  Even under the covenant of Law it was a time of freedom for God's people.  In the United States Declaration of Independence, the founding fathers wrote all men were endowed by their Creator with "unalienable rights."  Some of those listed were life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  It is God who has created man and is the source of all life, He is a Deliverer and Saviour, and how happy are those who trust in Him!  This pursuit of happiness is only satisfied as we seek God and walk in His ways.  Happiness cannot be permanently obtained for any earthly price, yet happy are the people whose God is the LORD (Ps. 144:15).  The man who receives Christ and gives himself to God has assurance of happiness the world cannot know.

Jesus came to earth to set the captives free from all bondage and deliver souls from death.  He said in John 8:36, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."  The world has hijacked "freedom" to mean "the right to do whatever you want."  Freedom of speech means you can say whatever you see fit without fear of correction or retribution.  We have seen the results of this sort of freedom:  it creates people who are tyrannized by their own flesh.  People can only be free when they willingly place themselves under the sovereign rule of God.  For the first time when we are born again through faith in Jesus we breathe the free air of the Holy Spirit, knowing we are no longer a slave to self, sin, Satan, or the opinions of others.  God's righteous judgments provide clarity of thought and light for every step.  Those enslaved to sin claim to be free but aren't going anywhere:  for all their freedoms, their chains remain.  Jesus is the only King who breaks all chains and sets captives free.

Jesus Can and Does

Things which are impossible with men are possible for God.  This is a theme repeated throughout the scriptures, and this message is served in a concentrated dose as the life of Christ is followed in the Gospels.  As I read Mark 5 this morning, I was struck with the three major interactions in the chapter:  the man possessed with demons, the woman with the flow of blood for 12 years, and the girl who died of illness.  All three of these people faced impossible situations.

Verse 3 said no man could bind the demon possessed man, even with chains.  The man was already bound with fierce demonic beings, and all hope of the man being cured was gone.  Even the attempts of the men of the city to subdue the man were futile.  Yet after a brief encounter with Jesus, the demons were cast out, the man was clothed, and sat down before Jesus in right mind.  Jesus bid him to go back to his family and tell others of the wonderful things He had done for him.  The free man boldly obeyed, and all who heard him were amazed.

Verses 25-26 speak of a woman who had a flow of blood for 12 years.  Despite spending all her money on treatments, her illness only grew worse.  When she heard Jesus was passing by she said to herself, "If I can just touch the hem of his garment, I will be made well."  She managed to reach Him in the crowd, and it was as she believed:  she felt the bleeding stop.  Jesus knew the healing had taken place and asked, "Who touched me?"  She fell down at His feet, confessed her illness, and she had been healed by touching the clothing of Christ before all the people.  He told her to go in peace, affirmed her faith had saved her, and she had been made whole.

Verse 35 tells us a man came to Jairus and reported the death of his daughter, the one he was leading Jesus to heal.  Why trouble the teacher any more? the man asked.  Her death made any hope for healing disappear.  But Jesus said, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  Even in the face of death, Jesus was filled with hope and the ability to save.  He put out the mourners who scorned Him, took the girl's hand in His own and said, "Little girl, I say to you arise."  Much to the astonishment of her parents, the girl sat up, spoke, and began to walk around.  Powerful demons, incurable illness, and even death are defeated by Jesus Christ.

A word from Jesus Christ is enough to create the world, drive out demons, and raise the dead.  The woman with the flow of blood touched Jesus and was healed, and Jesus held the hand of the dead girl and brought her back to life.  Jesus has the power to make what is impossible possible.  He brings hope to the hopeless.  He is not like a celebrity, who signs an autograph one day and shrugs off fans the next.  Jesus is the only King who had time for everyone, went with people who invited Him to their homes, cast out demons, healed the sick, and raised the dead.  He touched and was willing to be touched.  He gave of Himself wholly and His life of sacrifice was culminated on Calvary.  Will you bring your impossible situations to Jesus today?  Will you seek after Him with all your heart so you might touch only the hem of His garment in humble faith?  He invites us to come to Him with our unquenchable thirst, our hunger which cannot be satisfied, so that we might partake of Him and discover His abundant life.  Let us obey Jesus and testify of the great things He has done for us! 

The Reasonable Appetite

It is interesting how different people's standards of right and wrong can be.  While there is great diversity among personal beliefs, there are sins which are exceedingly sinful on a universal scale:  murder, sexual molestation of children, forced slavery, and theft.  My point is not about these sins in particular, but how there are certain actions the conscience of men deems wrong.  The value of having God's Law held forth in the Bible is to instruct us concerning God's standard of righteousness according to which all men will be someday judged.  Believe it or not, but this is the Bible's claim.  It is for our benefit to know our errors before the Day of Judgment so we can submit a plea bargain and receive the Gospel, having repented and trusted in Christ.

It struck me this morning like never before how God chose a most simple thing - the denial of eating from a particular tree - as the only possible sin after Adam was created,  We cannot know sin apart from the Law, and Adam was given one command:  do not eat from the tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden.  It was that simple.  There was no limitation of how much fruit he could eat from the other trees in the garden, but he was strictly forbidden from eating from a tree which would kill him!  Undeterred, Adam sought to satisfy his fleshly appetites and ate from the tree with Eve his wife.  This teaches us man from the very beginning was unable to curb his carnal desires.  Without the indwelling Holy Spirit, man had to sin.  Adam was unable to stop himself from feeding his flesh and ignored something as simple as keeping to a divine diet given by God for his good.  Adam sinned by eating what would kill him, and every sin since has only brought sorrow and death with it.

I do not believe it is a coincidence Jesus instituted the new covenant in His blood by eating bread and drinking of wine during the Passover meal.  Jesus commanded all His disciples to eat and drink together - not to fill their bellies or quench their dry mouths - but to show they found their satisfaction in Christ alone.  They were commanded not only to eat the Lord's Supper that night only but to remember Jesus, His sacrifice, and to proclaim His death until He returned through receiving Communion.  The food and drink of Jesus was to do the will of the Father and to finish His work (John 4:34).  Those who are followers of Christ are no longer to be slaves to our fleshly appetites, but to heed and obey God's Word.  Jesus taught man shall not live by bread alone but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God.  Adam made the mistake of following the dictates of self, and as Christians we can make the same mistake too.  There is no possible way we can deny ourselves and follow Jesus in relationship unless we are born again.  Adam's nature has led to separation from God and death every time, but being born again through faith in Christ makes us new creations called to be living sacrifices unto God.

People can maintain a high view of their own morality by simply not practicing what they consider to be "major" sins.  We are all like gamblers in that sense; we prefer to remember when we have won or the potential of winning and do not fix our minds on how much we have lost.  Our faults are easily forgotten.  But how about in the little things?  Have we ever eaten too much and strayed into gluttony?  Have we ever enjoyed too much drink and found ourselves under the influence of alcohol?  Have we feasted our eyes on what we know is wrong or uttered words which even we regretted later because they were sharp and vengeful?  The truth is, we cannot help ourselves in the matter of taming our flesh.  It must be crucified with Christ for us to experience the victory He has granted to all who trust in Him.  Let us not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, but to humble ourselves before God in repentance over what the world would term "little things" or "non-issues."  It is only in this place of repentance we can be forgiven and restored to fellowship with God.  Romans 12:1-2 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Gospel Inspiration

The Gospel of Jesus Christ should impact the way we live our lives.  When I face circumstances which are potentially frustrating and difficult, considering what Jesus has done for me helps me to meet issues with genuine joy.  Thinking about all Christ has freely given me transforms my perspective and aids me to show His love to others.

In our discipleship course we have been talking about seeing our lives through the lens of the Gospel, and keeping this in mind has been vital in me keeping a biblical perspective.  No matter how tired I am, inconvenienced I feel, or the depth of self-sacrifice is too great, Jesus has done infinitely greater for me.  What did Jesus do after a long day of ministry and people continued to seek Him?  He kept on ministering with grace and love.  Was it convenient for Him to leave the glory of heaven, put on human flesh, and take the form of a servant of all?  Is there any pain I have experienced like Christ endured when He was rejected, betrayed, scorned, and crucified?  Not a chance.  Jesus freely chose to be separated from the Father for my sin and it wasn't fair or fun.  It was loving, good, and merciful, but it was the most unfair thing in a human sense ever experienced on earth.  And Jesus still did it rejoicing, for He always did the will of the Father.

The next time you catch yourself feeling inconvenienced, annoyed, frustrated, or feeling resentment because people have been inconsiderate towards you, consider what Jesus has endured for your sake.  Instead of being preoccupied with what loving and serving other people is costing you, remember and praise God that Jesus freely paid a higher cost for your sake joyfully and without complaint.  When we weigh all we have freely received from God, we are able to freely give.  May our lives be a testimony of the Gospel lived out for all to see that God may be glorified for the power of His love and grace.