To be free and bound at the same time seems like an impossibility. Yet they are both true and important for a child of the Living God.
Bondage
When Adam sinned all men came under the bondage of being sinners and falling short of the glory of God, Romans 8:23. The wages of sin is death, Romans 6:23. No man can escape this eternal verdict, apart from the freedom of accepting Christ as their Redeemer.
Satan is the god of this world, 2 Corinthians 4:4, and the prince of the power of the air, Ephesians 2:2. The whole world lives in the power of the evil one, 1 John 5:19. The adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, 1 Peter 5:8. However, Satan can only do what God permits, Job 2:6 and God has provided the way to be free, John 14:6.
Man was created in the image of God, Genesis 1:26, to worship and reveal the glory of God. However, we live under the bondage of the curse of the law, unless we choose to become a follower of Christ.
True Freedom
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life, John 3:16. We can only know true freedom when we repent and accept the redemptive work of Christ.
The Son of God paid the ultimate sacrifice and took our rightful punishment on a cruel wooden cross, Colossians 2:14. He, who has been given total authority, John 3:35, Matthew 28:18, willingly submitted Himself to the hands of mere man and died in our place. The Spirit raised Christ from the dead and Jesus claimed total victory over sin and death, Romans 6:10.
God redeemed us from the curse of the law, Galatians 3:13. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ our Lord, Romans 6:23. So, if the Son makes you free you will be free indeed, John 8:36, for God has redeemed us from the curse of the law, Galatians 3:13.
Bondage Cycle
So, are we free to just do as we please? There was a cycle that Israel went through during the 300 years in the time of the Judges. In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes, Judges 21:25.
Israel would begin by serving the Lord, then falling into idolatry and becoming enslaved. God would raise up a Judge and Israel would be delivered. For a while Israel would faithfully serve God, then the cycle would begin all over again.
God was their King, but they constantly disobeyed His commandments and suffered the consequences as a nation. When man is leaderless, he turns to his own devices that always lead to his destruction.
Israel Failed
God desired to be seen as the King of Israel, but Israel wanted to be like other nations and have a human as their king over them to judge them. God listened to the demands of the people, but through the prophet Samuel He said, ‘They have rejected Me from being king over them’, 1 Samuel 8:7.
Israel had its kings, both good and bad, which eventually led to their destruction as a nation. Again and again God has proved that man is incapable of righteously governing himself, for all authority comes from and is established by God, Romans 13:1.
The Need for Laws
Laws establish a framework in which people can live in social cohesion. They set behavioural boundaries, but there is an obligation of obedience from the individual, with penalties for breaking the law. Laws give everyone an understanding of what is expected of them as a fruitful member of society, and what they can expect of others.
While the law gives the individual certain rights it places obligations on everyone, including the lawgivers. Also laws that are manmade are open to abuse.
God created men and angels with a free will, but men are accountable for the choices they make. The choice is always ours, to obey or disobey. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Higher Authority
However, there is a higher authority than the law of the land and that is a the law of a holy, just and loving God. He gave man the authority to use his God-given free will. Man can choose to either allow Satan to keep him in bondage, or to be counted as a prized and deeply loved possession of God, 1 Peter 2:9.
God redeemed us from the curse of the law through the death of the Son of God, Galatians 3:13. He alone had the currency to redeem us and create the way for us to enter the kingdom of heaven. Only the sinless blood of Christ could satisfy the justice of a holy God and buy us back.
Jesus was total man and total God, so God paid God, for God’s holy justice to be met. As mortal human beings we cannot comprehend what it cost to return fallen man to a relationship with the great I Am that I Am, Exodus 3:15.
Obligation
In the natural, man has obligations to the society he lives in. The redeemed sons of God also have obligations to God. Because of His great love for us, John 3:16, He freed us from the bondage of sin, but binds us in accountability to His perfect and holy will. It’s all about relationship, eternal love and trust.
We are free to make moral choices with our finite understanding. Or, we can choose to submit ourselves to the all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere present God, and seek His perfect will for our lives. He knows what we need before we even ask, Matt 6:8, and He will not give us a stone when we ask for bread, Matthew 7:9-11.
Running the Race
Paul likened it to running a race, 1 Corinthians 9:24,25. A race is something you compete in as an individual, under a set of rules. Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, Hebrews 12:1,2. However, you do not run the race alone.
Consider a parent watching a child run a race. The parent cheers the child on, and the child is spurred on by the parent’s encouragement. It is the same in the spiritual realm.
The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy. He will be quiet in His love and He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy, Zephaniah 3:17. God delights in how we run the race.
How You Run
It’s not about winning, as all believers win, for the prize is eternal life. It is about how we run the race and the depth of the relationship we establish with our loving heavenly Father.
We all desire to hear, ‘Well done good and faithful servant’, Matthew 25:23. The original word here is slave. We are bond-slaves to our Lord, Ephesians 6:6, for we were bought with a price, 1 Corinthians 6:20, the sinless blood of the Son of God.
Free and Bound at the Same Time
The cost to redeem us is far beyond our human comprehension. Why would we not willingly be bound to One who paid such a high cost to make us fellow-heirs with Him, Romans 8:17?
When Christ was crucified we were crucified with Him. He died and we died. When Christ rose from the grave, we rose with Him. Christ ascended back to heaven and took our humanity with Him. We are seated in Him in heavenly places, Ephesians 2:6.
We have the choice of being bound to Satan and all his evil ways with only the future of eternal death. Or we are free and obligated to Christ, who gave His all for us and the promise of eternal life. The choice is always ours. We are free and bound at the same time.
Check out our other posts at Whispering Encouragement. We are here to inform and encourage. Subscribe for free so you can keep up to date with topics that interest you.
________________________Whispering Encouragement_______________________
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.