FREEDOM!
What a beautiful word! If only we had a clue what it meant. We envision William Wallace holding some fearsome weapon aloft and shouting this word as he readies himself to slaughter and maim some farmer serf forced into military duty by King Edward. Good for William. Bad for serfs.
Rock and Roll doesn't help much. In my generation Janis Joplin almost made us believe that "freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." (Actually "nothing left to lose" is four words.) The Eagles opined about freedom that it was "just some people talkin'." Wow, don't those sentiments just make you want to run out and get you some freedom?
Politics doesn't help much either. The word "freedom" is itself enslaved to spin doctors from both sides of the political spectrum. Their shameless application of the word to advance their own agendas and well being at the expense of others is sickening and shameful.
Honestly, "freedom" is a complex concept. Most would pragmatically discern that libertarianism is almost freedom. But in truth libertarianism is not almost freedom, it is almost anarchy which is certainly not freedom at all.
Jesus said in John 8:32, "You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Ah, but the verse actually starts with a word we almost always leave out. The word is "then." Going back to verse 31 the full statement reads, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Becoming a real disciple of Jesus and learning to walk in the unforced rhythm of God's grace opens us up completely to truth and brings a powerful liberation from the inevitable decay of life in a fallen world.
Rock and Roll doesn't help much. In my generation Janis Joplin almost made us believe that "freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." (Actually "nothing left to lose" is four words.) The Eagles opined about freedom that it was "just some people talkin'." Wow, don't those sentiments just make you want to run out and get you some freedom?
Politics doesn't help much either. The word "freedom" is itself enslaved to spin doctors from both sides of the political spectrum. Their shameless application of the word to advance their own agendas and well being at the expense of others is sickening and shameful.
Honestly, "freedom" is a complex concept. Most would pragmatically discern that libertarianism is almost freedom. But in truth libertarianism is not almost freedom, it is almost anarchy which is certainly not freedom at all.
Jesus said in John 8:32, "You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Ah, but the verse actually starts with a word we almost always leave out. The word is "then." Going back to verse 31 the full statement reads, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Becoming a real disciple of Jesus and learning to walk in the unforced rhythm of God's grace opens us up completely to truth and brings a powerful liberation from the inevitable decay of life in a fallen world.
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