Freedom - what exactly is it? Is it being allowed to do whatever one wants, whenever one desires? Is it living with no restrictions or demands? Is true freedom like being given the proverbial ‘key to the city’ from some Mayor - allowing you to have unfettered access to any building in town, and VIP treatment from everyone in it? Well it sure sounds like the case when you look at definitions of the word freedom: “Exemption from external controls, interference, demands, regulations or restraints;” “Unfettered power to determine one’s actions;” “the absence of ties, obligations, or outside direction.” These are not really definitions of freedom, but ‘license’ - which is unbridled freedom! Jude, the brother of Jesus, warned that licentious people had entered the Church, describing them as “…ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality…” (JUDE 1:4).
But History shows us that the result of such unbridled freedom is chaos, confusion, and anarchy! It makes us think of barbarian peoples like the Monguls, Ostrogoths, and the Heruli, who swooped into civilizations and did as they pleased and took what they wanted. Yet with all the outward freedom these barbarian groups exercised against an enemy, they had great internal restraints upon the members of their own groups! Which tells us a very important truth about groups and freedom: The only way to have cohesion in a group is by placing limits & demands upon the freedom of all members of the group. The existence of towns, cities, and states, as well as families, clubs and businesses, is dependent upon such limits and demands upon all citizens or members - as well as punitive measures for ignoring such restraints.
This is why some people choose to leave Society and dwell alone in a cave or on an island - so that they don’t have to live with any kind of external restraints. ‘External freedom’ is living without any outside forces controlling or directing you - a state of being which is inevitably taken away by government, invasion, or the natural Human longing to reconnect with others. The price for joining any group of people, is living with some kind of limits and demands upon your freedom. Even barbarians and gangs place limits and demands upon their member’s freedom!
The Bible says: “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” (ROMANS 13:1,2) Since God is the author of all nations (ACTS 17:26), He is the author of their authority.
The ‘External Forces’ which control and influence us are many: Authorities (Parents, Municipalities, and States); Institutions (Schools, Military, Unions); Peer pressure (friends, co-workers, team-mates). As long as we want to be ‘included’ in these groups - we have to accept the limits and demands upon our freedom established by the authorities in these groups (Parents, teachers, coaches, etc.) In other words, as long as we want membership in a group - we’re going to have to serve somebody. Bob Dylan once wrote a song entitled, ‘GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY’:
“You may be an ambassador to England or France, you may like to gamble, you might like to dance,
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world, you may be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed you’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the Devil or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”
Truer words were never written! As long as people want to be part of groups - they’re going to have to serve somebody’s limits and demands upon their freedom!
We also have unseen forces that control and direct us: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this Age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (EPHESIANS 6:12,13) Paul also told the Ephesians: “And you HE made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” (EPH. 2:1,2)
Radio waves are all around us, yet we cannot see them. But if we had a short wave radio, we could tune into any number of frequencies and instantly tap into those radio waves. There are frequencies the Human ear cannot hear, but animals can. Satan, as the ‘Prince of the power of the air’ can broadcast messages in our minds on a frequency we can’t hear or see, that influence and move us to do evil. Satan broadcasts thoughts into our minds of envy, lust, jealousy, greed, vengeance and violence - and most Human Beings never stop and analyze where such thoughts came from. Concerning this battle for our minds, the apostle James was inspired to write: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (JAMES 4:7)
The ‘Freedom Index’ measures personal and economic freedom in 165 Countries - 98.8% of Mankind. It looks at 12 categories of Human Freedom in a nation, things like freedom of Religion, freedom of speech, freedom of Assembly, and freedom of movement - and then gives each nation a score. Every year, it is Christian nations of Europe and the Americas that receive the highest scores for freedom! Which is interesting in light of Paul’s statement to the congregation in Corinth: “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (II CORINTH. 3:17) Godless nations like China and North Korea, always receive the lowest scores for individual freedom!
Christian limits and demands upon freedom, create a cohesive society while allowing the most individual freedoms possible. Muslim nations score very low on the ‘Freedom Index’ because Sharia Law is more restrictive of individual rights (especially women’s), than Biblical Law.
Paul wrote about liberty from bondage to Satan: “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He (Christ) Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (HEBREWS 2:14,15)
Besides the ‘external forces’ of Society and the ‘invisible forces’ of Satan which can enslave us and take away our freedom, there are also ‘internal forces’ of Self which can bring us into bondage and take away our liberty. The Apostle Paul was inspired by God to write: “I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members (Self), warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” (ROMANS 7:21-23) Paul is talking about the ‘internal forces’ of Ego, passions, and emotions which can enslave us and take away our individual freedom! The Bible tells us that “Pride (Ego) goes before destruction…” (PROVERBS 16:18) It tells us that we can be overcome by fear (Luke 8:37) and other emotions (PROVERBS 27:4). Scripture says: “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)
Paul asked the Romans a question that most Human Beings have never considered: “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or obedience leading to righteousness?” (ROMANS 6:16) The ‘internal forces’ of Ego, passions and emotions, which make up the ‘Self' - take away individual freedom - every bit as much as the ‘external forces’ of Society, and the ‘invisible forces of Satan!’
Jesus said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.” (LUKE 4:18) How does Christ give liberty fo those held captive by external, invisible, and internal forces? “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (ROMANS 8:1-4)
Most of Humanity ‘walks according to the flesh,’ according to Satan’s influence (EPHESIANS 2:1,2), and according to the external forces of this world (II PETER 2:12). But if we are baptized into Christ’s death, then we can be freed from all 3 enslaving forces: “Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” (ROMANS 6:3-6)
This is why Jesus told the Jews: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (JOHN 8:31,32) King James III reportedly said on his deathbed: “There is no bondage like sin, and no liberty like God’s service.” We all have to serve somebody! Most people serve the forces of Satan, Society and Self. But those who acquiesce to God’s Spirit, instead of the forces of evil, are set free from the destructive forces of sin - and they serve God, a Friend with benefits: If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.” (JOB 36:11,12)
Have you been set free? “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed!” (JOHN 8:36) Free of what? Free of the destructive forces of Satan, Society and Self! True freedom is having the right to move constructively in relation to God, neighbor, and self - as spelled out in detail in God’s perfect Law of Liberty!