Isaiah 57:15
The high and lofty One who live in eternity, the Holy One, says this, "I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts."
Freedom....A word that is bandied about in this country way to much. A word that is thrown around with no thought to the meaning or context. Freedom now points to selfish interest, sometimes at the expense of others. Or a cockeyed view of the way things should be.
"I'm free! I'm an America!"
Free from what? Restraint? Expectation of others? Moral restraint? what are we free from. You really can't be free from one thing, without being attached to something else. My view is that what is called freedom today is nothing more than the avenue to do what ever you want to do without any consequences. The more we can push God out of the picture........Or at least give a token nod to Him so we don't get in any real trouble, the more free we are to do whatever it is we want to do.
Here's a news flash for you:
We didn't come up with this idea of moralistic freedom. The rejection of God in our personal lives so we can fulfill whatever desire we have (no matter how wrong it is). Each man and woman becomes the ruler of their own lives. We don't have to worry about consequences, do we? Well, yes we do. There are always going to be consequences for our actions. That is a part of occupying this planet. But what the hey! We're free aren't we. To engage in any activity or belief to satisfy that fleshly nature that drives us.
Judges 21:25
In those days Israel had no king. All the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.
Proverbs 14:12
There is a path (or way) before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.
Judges passage gives us insight into the simple fact that Israel, at one point in their history, had no authority ruling over them. There was no leadership in place to govern and guide them. As such, society became kind of free-for-all in which everyone did as they pleased.
Proverbs passage tells us that when we are left to govern ourselves....to choose for ourselves....we think we are choosing wisely...it seems right, but it ends in death.
Death on two levels....
1.) Physical death that causes all life to cease in our body.
And...
2.) Spiritual death, also known as the Second death. A death that removes us from ever being in the presence of God. Eternal separation because of our selfish, sin driven choices.
But Jesus came to set us free from that type of life.....
One that is selfish and sin driven. Jesus came to restore us to a new way of living.
There we find what freedom really is....
We find that there is a life that is not of this world, but is provided by One who paid the price for our sin that we might accept His gift of real life.
That is freedom....
That is life......
I want to live there...
I want to worship there...
I want to be filled with His presence, that His voice be the only voice I hear....
I want to live there....
Forever.....
God on you...
michael b
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