Bondage and Freedom

1 Samuel 7:1-3 Then the men of Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord. So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after theLord. Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for theLord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

This exhortation from Samuel to Israel could also apply to God's calling to Christians today.  Culture matters in every era. As Christians, we're encouraged to live apart from godless, worldly philosophies. God says, "Follow the Lord with all your heart and all your soul." When Israel deviated from the Lord's path, God had to correct them. The most important thing is to follow the Word of God (the Holy Scriptures of the Bible) and not cultural norms. The traditions of mankind develop "legalism" (the strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code). Legalism claims that certain things are part of God's law. However, legalism is contrary to God's heart of love, grace, and mercy. Legalists love themselves and "perfecting the flesh," but they don't really love God. When they concentrate on keeping the law, they are under the devil's control and God cannot deliver them. God's deliverance is conditional on our dependence on Him. Cultural norms should be subject to the Word of God in order to find freedom in Christ.  Legalism, or "working out our own salvation through perfecting the flesh", separates us from the grace of God and dependence on Him. As Paul said, "in my flesh dwells no good thing." All good things come from God according to His grace, mercy, and love. Humility is required before we can receive his grace.

John 8:31-32 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

There are four areas of bondage: Fear, pride, guilt, and the bondage of the law of legalism. This is the viscous cycle the enemy uses to imprison and defeat God's people. The antidote to these areas of bondage is to "humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God." The freedom to walk in Christ is to walk righteous in his presence because of the price Jesus Christ paid in our stead. For he who knew no sin was made the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.  The finished work of Christ covers every area of bondage. When the spiritual leaders fell in 1 Samuel, the priestly tribe of Eli was wiped out. God himself takes over when his priests fail in their commission to represent the people to God. God promised Israel, If you forsake your false idols, I will deliver you.

The freedom that we have in Christ is the freedom to walk in the light as he is in the light. The kingdom of darkness assaults the kingdom of light in the midst of the spiritual battle. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness from on high. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Is it Christ who died, whom God has raised from the dead? As it is written, “Are we killed and cast down all the days of our lives?  Nay, in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This is our freedom in Christ: “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

May God richly bless you,

Your brother in Christ, Michael