Hope, Healing & Freedom Podcast : Ep 07
TRANSCRIPT
Today our main point is this: Jesus died for our freedom. Anywhere in our life that we are not free is a place of bondage! Our key verse comes from Galatians 5:1, which says:
“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.”
Galatians 5:1 NIV
It was for this freedom that Christ set us free [completely liberating us]; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed].
Galatians 5:1 AMP
I love this scripture! It is for FREEDOM that Christ set us free! So what is freedom? I used to think that I was free. I could worship with abandon. I loved Jesus but then I found out I really wasn’t really free. I was being held back by what people thought of me. I felt that if they knew the real me that I’d be rejected. I had to show people that I had it all together (perfectionism) or I wasn’t okay and they would think less of me. I had to control my circumstances and the lives of my children for me to feel “safe”. That is NOT freedom, not for them or for me!
Webster’s Dictionary definition of Freedom: “Being able to live, think, act or speak without hindrance or restraint.” The Amplified Bible states that freedom is to be completely liberated. Not held back by anything. What would it look like to not be held back by your past mistakes? What about your thoughts about yourself? Are the thoughts of others holding you back?
Now ask yourself, where are you hindered or restrained in your life? Are you able to think, act or speak without hindrance? Without restraint? Is something holding you back?
Are you struggling with repeating patterns of failure in jobs, relationships, finances?
How about anger? Do you get easily offended or do your buttons get pushed and do you lash out at those around you? Do you feel responsible for others’ happiness or for the negative circumstances in their lives? Are you constantly trying to “fix them”? or things for them?” When you sit down at a computer are you bombarded by the temptation to look at pornography or to buy something that pops up on your computer? What kind of thoughts do you have about myself? Are your thoughts positive affirmations and thoughts or negative ones? Do you think things like: I am highly favored, a child or the Most High? I am a warrior or a princess? I am chosen by God! I am loved. I am unique and special? Or do you have thoughts like:
I am bad. I am a screw-up. I am damaged. I am a failure. I am defective. How we live is determined by how we think about ourselves, about circumstances and about God.
There are MANY other areas of bondage than the ones I’ve mentioned. I’d encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you anywhere that you are being hindered or restrained? Any place that we’re not living unrestrained and unhindered is a place that we are not free!
When I think about what freedom looks like I think of a friend of mine, I’ll call her Deb. Deb had a horrific childhood. Her parents were verbally abusive. They provided a home and 3 meals a day but they didn’t give Deb any of the love and nurture that she longed for and needed. She was sexually abused at a young age. Deb did what so many do. She turned to other sources for love, comfort and to fill the hole in her heart. That ended up with her being addicted to drugs and alcohol and having multiple sexual partners. None of it brought the healing she needed. There was a point in her life that she was running from the police and from the drug dealers. In the midst of that challenge she met Jesus and her healing journey began. It was a long road because of all of the trauma and pain that she had experienced. There was the issue of the addictions and the mindsets that led her to them. All along God made a way for her. He brought her back from a place of suicidal thoughts and plans to walk in a place of total healing and freedom. God is using her mightily today in His kingdom! She is one of my heroes.
When I think of a Biblical story that reflects What does freedom look like? I think of the woman in Luke 7 that anointed the feet of Jesus. The Bible doesn’t name her but it does describe her. Luke 7:37 “And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with ointment.” In verse 44 Jesus speaks about her to Simon. “Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” vs. 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
A few things about this story to note. Women were not honored in that day and time. Often then were considered as property. A woman with a reputation like the one above would have been shamed and shunned from being in public settings. She knew her sin and so did Jesus. Somehow she knew that He was the Messiah, that he wouldn’t be like the other men, that He deserved her extravagant expression of love and affection. It wasn’t sexual. It was selfless. The oil used was expensive, it would be equivalent to about $60,000 USD today. She didn’t use a cloth, she used her own hair. She kissed his feet, not his face. She risked further ridicule and exposure by her actions. She did not care what people thought of her. She was willing to risk being shamed and humiliated again to express her love for the Savior. That looks like freedom to me. She did not let her past define or limit her actions. She acted without hindrance. According to Webster’s definition She was free. Now, was she free in all areas of her life? Maybe not, but she was free from the opinions of men. She was free from the poverty spirit. (she didn’t hold onto the ointment for another day) Did she need more healing in her heart to change her lifestyle? Probably. We don’t really know the extent of her healing that day when Jesus said, “You’re forgiven.” Because we’re not given her name we can’t track her through the Bible for sure. I’d like to believe that she was one of the women that followed Jesus. Just maybe she was one of the first women to arrive at the tomb that first resurrection morning to discover that He was alive and run excitedly throughout the town telling others!
Living in freedom is much better than living in bondage! Not being driven by the opinions of others, not feeling responsible for others messes, not being tempted to watch pornography, that is freedom! Often we are taught how to manage our sin. Managing sin, not participating with it, is better than sinning but it isn’t freedom. Living free doesn’t mean you don’t have challenges but it completely changes your perspective and enjoyment of life.
Another Biblical picture of freedom is David as a young boy. David went to check on his brothers only to find that they were being taunted by the enemy and giant Goliath. David was young, had no battlefield experience,inferior weapons had no armor and yet he went up against Goliath. Goliath would have been enormous compared to David. His taunting had the Generals in the army shaking in their boots. David’s perspective was from a place of freedom. He believed that no matter the circumstances God was with him. Rather than play it safe he stepped out in boldness and defeated Goliath. Apparently he put fear into the ranks of the Philistines because the 4 brothers of Goliath didn’t bother to come after David. King Saul thought that Goliath was too big to fight. David thought Goliath was too big to miss! (I Samuel 17)
We know that David, like many of us, had seasons in his life when he was free and others when he was not. The encouraging news for us is that God still called David “a man after his own heart”. Regardless of David’s sin God always saw the man he was destined to be.
Years ago we had a man come to us for ministry. He had an addiction to pornography. He had tried 12 step groups, Bible Study, prayer and many other avenues to get free. He was desperate. It was interesting because as he sat with us he said, “I don’t know that I even agree with you theologically but I’m desperate to be free of this addiction to pornography.” He said he was willing to join his mustard seed faith with our faith and participate fully with the RTF ministry process. He did. We walked through the whole process of breaking off the Sins of the Fathers, identifying Ungodly Beliefs, getting some of the wounded places in his heart healed in the Soul Spirit Healing, that were roots of the pornography and then getting rid of the Demonic Oppression in his life. It was amazing! He looked different. He was over the top excited at how different he felt. He was free. As we checked in with him a few weeks following the ministry he was celebrating his new found freedom. He said, “I can sit in front of a computer now without any temptation.” Now that is freedom!
Friend, we want to encourage you to pursue true and lasting freedom. Don’t settle. Don’t allow the enemy to convince you that not giving into the sin is freedom. It’s not. Believe me there will come a day when you’re tired, or sick, or discouraged that satan will send his minions in an all out assault and you’ll find that you don’t have the discipline needed to fight him off. When he has legal ground in your life he has power over you. Take away his legal ground and you’ll experience true freedom!
Prayer: Father God, thank you that according to Galatians 5:1 Jesus died to give me freedom in every area of my life. Thank you that my freedom isn’t based on my performance but it’s based on His shed blood. Thank you for always being ready and willing to forgive me.
I confess that I am not walking in total freedom in all areas of my life. I repent for (list the areas that Holy Spirit brings to mind) walking in (fear, anxiety, sin, unbelief, deception, sexual bondage, etc) I ask for your forgiveness for partnering with these things. I receive your forgiveness. I choose to forgive myself for allowing these things to hold me back and hinder me from complete freedom. I forgive those who contributed to my sin. I embrace your forgiveness. I choose this day to turn from these things and begin anew. I want to be completely and totally free. I want all hindrances (thoughts, actions, past) to be removed. Give me wisdom on how to walk in total and complete freedom.
In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!
Declaration: I declare today that Christ died to give me freedom in every area of my life. I choose to continue on this journey to be totally free in every area of my life!
