What is Freedom?
To Satan, freedom is doing what you want. How many wars have been fought for freedom? How many people in the past have died for freedom? With all the wars that have been fought for freedom, does the world enjoy peace? What does God’s word say about freedom and wars?
James 4:1-4 talks about this; ‘What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures [your self-interest] that wages war inside your body? You lust [covet] and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain [have your own way] so you fight and quarrel. Even when you pray to God for things, you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your own pleasures [because you want what you want for self]. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? [When you continue to live selfish, inward lives, you are continuing to live like the world lives]. Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend to the world makes himself an enemy of God.’ [This, then, is the same as committing adultery against God.]
Nations fight and kill each other for the same reasons—sin and human nature. Jesus was sent to this world to show man how to escape from this human nature, which has kept him enslaved by the devil. Man is being held captive by Satan to do his will (2 Tim. 2:26). Jesus said to seek the truth and you will be set free from your present nature which is evil, compared to God’s nature which is righteous and pure. Seek the truth [God’s word] and it will set you free from all religious error which grips the world. Seek the truth and it will set you free from Satan who has deceived the whole world (John 8:32; Rev. 12:9).
By daily study of God’s word by subject, you not only can prove that God exists but also that He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). You will find God’s word to be a true history of man and that the world is full of pagan, godless lies, which are being taught to your children in schools and colleges.
For example, your children are being taught that writing, and the writing of books, did not occur until a recent date and as a result, books were not available to people long ago. However, in Halley’s Bible Handbook, page 51, an article is written called: “Libraries in Abraham’s Day and Schools in Abraham’s Day.” We all know that Enoch wrote several books in his day, and he lived seven generations after Adam and Eve. That book of Enoch is still available today!
Man’s thoughts are being controlled today; and he is being fed rubbish. 1 Corinthians 3:19 says that the knowledge of this world is foolishness to God. It is of the earth and is demonic (James 3:15). True knowledge comes from God above. When you obey God, He not only gives you true knowledge but also wisdom for the asking.
Freedom comes from keeping laws—God’s laws. When you keep God’s laws, He protects you from harm, feeds you in times of famine, protects you from disease, blesses everything you put your hand to do, gives you a long life filled with joy, peace, prosperity and eternal life (Psalm 91:1-16; Deut. 30:15; Psalm 25:13; 37:11)! You keep God’s laws in the Spirit by continually doing good.
Freedom comes from knowing the truth. Freedom comes from practicing the truth. Freedom comes from getting rid of your old evil nature and having Christ’s new nature (which He has waiting for you) formed in you (Gal. 4:19; 2 Peter 1:4).
He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. You love others and fulfill that law when you only live to do good to others and serve and help them whenever you have the opportunity. Being a servant of others is imitating Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 11:1; Rom. 15:2-3).
Halley’s Bible Handbook also describes how Jesus Christ lived and gave us example to live. On page 20, it says: “As a man, He lived the most strangely beautiful life ever known. He was the kindest, tenderest, gentlest, most patient, most sympathetic man that ever lived. He loved people. He hated to see people in trouble. He loved to forgive. He loved to help. He wrought marvelous miracles to feed hungry people. For relieving the suffering He forgot to take food for Himself. Multitudes, weary, pain-ridden, and heart sick, came to Him, and found healing and relief. It is said of Him, and no other (John 21:25), that if all the deeds of kindness He did were written, the world could not contain the books. That is the kind of man Jesus was. That is the kind of Person God is. And, Jesus said that those who would be followers of His would do more deeds of kindness than He did (John 14:12)!
It is this precious Way of life that Jesus came to show mankind, which is called the Way of righteousness. This is true freedom. It is also the directions to eternal life (John 12:47-50; Matt. 21:32).
Jesus delivered to us the words of the Father, as He was prophesied to do in Deuteronomy 18:15 and 17-19. Anyone who will not obey Jesus’ words will be utterly destroyed from among the people in the future (Acts 3:23). I think Jesus was serious when He said that unless we repent and keep His words, we will perish (Luke 13:3, 5; John 8:51).