Freedom “From” and Freedom “For”

Posted on Jun 30, 2011 in Life Purpose | 3 comments

By Hobie Wood

With the coming of Independence Day in the United States, commonly called the 4^th of July, the issue of freedom comes to the forefront of our minds.  Doubtless politicians will use the concept of freedom as a launching pad for the new campaign season.  Some churches will use it to talk about the need for traditional values in our country.  Some people will use the idea of freedom to talk about how the only real freedom is anarchy and a complete lack of values and morals.  Everyone has an opinion on the concept of freedom.

But what does it mean?  For Christians, what is real freedom as defined by God Himself, the Creator of freedom?  This is a vital question for us, and it is worthy of reflection as our nation’s Independence Day comes around once again.  First, we need to see what we are free from; then we need to see what we are free for.

Biblically, freedom is never apart from the reign and rule of God.  Those who argue that true freedom is the ability to do whatever we want whenever we want are trying to define freedom according to a universe that does not exist: a God-less universe.  But the fact is that we live in a universe created and sustained by God.  Therefore, He gets to define freedom; we do not.  Freedom biblically is freedom to be and do what we were created to be and do.  So non-freedom or slavery is the inability to be and do what we were created to be and do.  The Westminster Shorter Catechism, a teaching tool of Christians from years ago, says that the chief end of man is “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”  This is a summary of the biblical definition of freedom.  We must be free from the things that keep us from glorifying God and enjoying Him forever.  With that in mind, we can see that the list is long of things from which we need to be free.

What keeps us from glorifying God and enjoying Him?  You name it!  Sometimes it is other gods that we set up for ourselves, things like money, success, sex, entertainment, or image.  Other times it might be some sinful practice or habit that we just cannot seem to break.  Still other times it might be the weight of guilt over all the bad we have done or the lack of good that we haven’t done.  God has created us to be free from these things and to enjoy Him and glorify Him.  Yet we are so encumbered by these and other hindrances that we desperately need Him to make us free.  This is where the good news of the gospel of Jesus comes into play.  Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection brought freedom for those who trust Him by faith.  When we come to Jesus and trust Him to forgive our sins by His death in our place, He removes the sin and guilt that we could not remove ourselves.  He replaces the false gods that we used to worship, though we will always have to fight against these false gods for the rest of our lives.  He gives us the help we need to break sinful habits by the aid of His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit.  Bottom line is that when we come to Jesus and become God’s children, we are made free from all that kept us in slavery.  Of course this does not mean that life is easy and simple after we come to Jesus; we still must fight and pray and deal with the remnants of our sin.  But the battle has changed.  Whereas once, we did not want to be free and we loved our slavery, in Jesus, we love Him and the freedom he has provided; therefore, we want to live for Him in obedience. Hebrews 12:1-2 says it well, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”  So true freedom is freedom from those things that hinder us from being who God created us to be; that freedom can only be found in Jesus Christ.

Yet freedom is not only from certain things, it is also freedom for certain things.  In order to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, we must be free to do certain things, not just have our constraints removed.  When the employees of Joe Gibbs Racing build a racecar, they create it to race…and fast.  It was created for a purpose.  If that racecar became a place for collecting dust and spare parts and other trash, it would not be free to do what it was created to do.  However, if it is kept in racing condition, it is free to do what it was built for…racing.  We are similar.  We were created by God for God…to know and glorify Him.  We glorify Him by keeping His commandments.  We need freedom from our sin so that we can be free for right relationship and obedience to the good God who made us and saved us in Jesus Christ.

So this 4^th of July, let us celebrate freedom.  Yes, freedom for our country and all the gifts thereof.  But let us not forget true freedom…freedom from the God who made us and gave us Jesus Christ to free us from our sin so that we can be free to glorify and enjoy our God.