Freedom Is Not a One-time Event

This Sunday, I think in honor of our country's birthday and "Independence Day", my pastor gave a sermon on freedom, titled "How to be Totally Free".

We live in a "free country". We do not live under government oppression or dictatorship. We are free to choose how to live our lives, how to worship, who to marry, what career to follow, and so on. But the truth is, most of us are not really living "free" lives.


It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galations 5:1

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave to sin and a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." John 8:31-36

I have been trying to walk on this road of freedom for quite awhile now. I have gone through this healing journey where God has been setting me free. But somehow I think my thinking has gotten a bit off track... because lately I have been struggling to walk through this freedom. Maybe I had it set in my mind that once you have been freed, then everything will just automatically fall into place and there will never be another problem in that area again.

I know, I know.... wishful thinking. But how often to we really believe something deep down even though on the surface we may think we are believing something else? And we must look at our behavior to determine which beliefs we are really following. On the surface, it is logical to think that of course we need to keep turning to God daily, to pick up our cross daily, to say "no" to our flesh daily.... but if deep down we think, "once free, always free and I never have to deal with it again", then we are setting ourselves up for trouble.

Here is my personal example of this folly-thinking.... In 2007, God freed me of my eating addictions. For a year, I consistently walked out this freedom. Each day I picked up my cross and said "NO" to my flesh. However, since moving to NM, I have struggled. I got lazy. I got selfish. I began to indulge my flesh in tiny ways and used stress and uncertainty as my excuses. I chose to believe that I am free, therefore I need not do any of the work. Over time I somewhere gave up my complete surrender in this area.... I was not surrendering daily to my Lord.

Sure, when things are going well and easy in my life, it is much easier to coast through and think that I am still free. But when things get hard and/or challenging, the food becomes a subtle comfort I have come to rely on all the while still thinking in my head I that I have been set free, so I have NO problems. And the flesh has no trouble finding excuses.

My oldest and dearest friend came to stay with me (with her three daughters) for just under a month. During this time, there was much Spiritual attack going on, and much warfare on our behalf. It was a tiring time, though God was so working through these circumstances in such awesome ways.

My friend and her daughters eat... a lot. They have high metabolisms and blood sugar issues that require eating several times a day. So while they ate, I ate. Unfortunately, my body does not require the amount of food (nor as frequently) as what they eat... yet I was on some levels trying to "keep up with them".... or at least this is the excuse my flesh clung to. But the truth is, if I was still walking out my freedom from food issues, I would have said no each time my body did not need that food... regardless of the fact that it was almost always healthy food I was eating. My body didn't need it, but I ate anyway.

Then I told myself that once they went home, I would return to my "normal" eating habits and lose the 5 pounds I gained while they were here. But of course now that they are home.... my flesh still wants the food, because the reality is that I have not been free for awhile. If you feed the flesh, the flesh gets stronger. And the only way to defeat the flesh is to feed the spirit while starving the flesh. Well, I am sure that all you fellow food addicts will agree with me that STARVING is not a word that us food lovers like... AT ALL. But that is the reality. If I do not say no to my flesh, my spirit will not grow. And I want my spirit to grow... not my weight.

So here I am, finally admitting that I have basically walked away from my freedom, all the while somewhat beating myself up because of it, while still wanting to feed my flesh. And there have been emotional/spiritual things I have been putting off facing.... thus continuing my cycle of turning to my flesh rather than feeding my spirit. So let's just say that hearing a sermon on freedom was exactly what I needed to hear this past Sunday morning. And my pastor made a statement that reached deep to the core of me.

"True freedom must be fought for and maintained. Total freedom is not just getting free; it is staying free. Do you have a passion for freedom in your spirit?"

Wow! Did I need to hear that, or what?!!! He went on to talk about how God can free us, but we have the ability to fall back into bondage. Then he went on to quote a great patriot of our country, Patrick Henry:

(The cry of a freedom fighter)..."Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid I, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

This is what each of our hearts should cry out in the face of spiritual chains and bondage...."give me liberty, or give me death!" We should all have this passion so deep in our souls that we will do anything to find freedom, to break free from our chains. I had this passion once.... and I must find it again!

As I was reading in my Bible this morning, I read the following passage in the psalms:

"Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. They will receive the Lord's blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior. Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob." Psalm 24:3-6 NLT

It occurred to me that when you look the chains of bondage that enslaves most of us, they are really an idol in disguise. We are worshiping food or television or material possessions or chemical substances or celebrities or relationships... the list can really go on and on. Our hands and hearts are not pure, and we are just lying to ourselves about who or what we are really worshiping in these chains of slavery. Everytime I choose to put food in my mouth that I do not need because it brings me comfort, I am denying the power of my Lord who died for me, and instead I am choosing to worship the God of this world, the father of lies, the enemy of my soul. I am saying that God is not enough for me, Jesus is not enough for me because I have to use something else (food, entertainment, possessions) to fill that hole that only Jesus can fill. And Satan has me right where he wants me.

Climbing the "mountain of the Lord" is hard work..... very hard work. But it is what we all must do to be right with the Lord and receive His blessings. I want to seek the Lord. I want to worship in His presence. Because the truth is, He is so much better than all other idols combined!!!

The thesis to Sunday's sermon was this: "To walk in total freedom we must face facts, reject lies and myths, and receive revelation of God's truth presently applied to our life."

Are you ready?

Lord God, thank you that you offer us freedom from all the slavery this world engulfs us in. There is no condemnation in you, Christ Jesus. You love us and died for our sins, to pay the price that we may be free. Forgive me Lord for falling away from the freedom You have given me. I choose to walk in Your ways, to climb Your mountain, to turn away from sin and take every thought captive as your word commands. Thank you for Your Word and guidance. Please continue to speak Your Truth into my heart and spirit, to dispell the lies of the enemy of my soul. I love you. Amen.