Liberty

1 Peter 2:11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 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. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth"; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Freedom is really the choice of entanglements, as none are free from some sort of external force upon their lives, be it government, or relationships or responsibilities.

What deprives man of freedom is the inability to choose. This is the role sin plays in every life. It deprives a person of their freedom by enslaving them to their own lusts. Satan is very good at determining exactly which lust(s) may be effective on any given person, and he is sure to throw those attractions in front of that person for one purpose – to ensnare them in slavery which may destroy them.

When a person becomes enslaved in any way to sin, they have become submitted to its lordship in their lives. This lordship may take many forms, but all of those forms are designed to interrupt that person’s freedom to submit to the Lordship of God.

This is the greatest difference between the truth and a lie. The lie says we are free to do whatever we desire, and truth says we are free to choose what or whom we submit ourselves to.

God Word says, “With your freedom from sin, willingly choose to submit yourselves to authority on earth as a present form of submission to Jesus.” It is ironic how we demonstrate no man has power over us by yielding to men not by force but by the will of God. This was most powerfully demonstrated by Jesus on the cross.

-Pastor Bill