How to be Free (3)

The Spirit of Freedom

When I was 16yrs old my parents went out of town for a concert. The only 2 rules they left me with were “no one was allowed over” and “you can’t drive the car into town.” Well, my friend down the street invited me to go to a movie with her family. I figured “it’s just down the street and I need the practice driving.” SO I drove down the street to their house and went to watch the movie. Didn’t think anything of it. Well, the next morning my dad wakes me up freaking out! He asked if I drove into town and I said no. He called me a liar and grounded me for like 2 months! Later I found out that he had made marks in the dirt behind the car tires. He had made the rule that I couldn’t go to town, so he was the only one that could accuse me of breaking that rule.

There will always be “enforcers” in our lives. People who believe it is their God given responsibility to make sure we are following the rules. People who want to make us feel guilty and shameful for messing up. Sometimes it’s even just something inside of us that feels like we have failed everyone we know and love. It’s a hard thing to walk through or live through. Constantly feeling like you have let everyone down because you didn’t meet some uncommunicated expectation can be exhausting. And if we were all to be honest with ourselves, we have all felt this way at one point or another.

The Bible addresses this very thing.

Romans 7:15–25 NLT

I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Ive heard it described as 2 wolves or 2 rats. Let’s go with wolves, because I hate rats. If you have a white wolf and a black wolf and the 2 are fighting, which one will win? The answer? Whichever one you feed. The Bible is telling us there are 2 natures, 2 powers, at war inside of us. As Christ followers we have the Holy Spirit and our will. Our will wants to sin, the Holy Spirit wants us to live lives that please Jesus.

Hebrews 11:5–6 NLT

It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

So we have to believe that God is real and that He rewards those who look for Him, not just those who follow His rules. Easier said than done right? What if everyone you have ever know, or tried to make happy, put marks behind your tires. Always assuming you would do the wrong thing or lie. How do we know that God isn’t trying to trap us?

Romans 8:14–17 NLT

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

We are not slaves to sin, we are children of God who loves and forgives us because of His son Jesus!

I understand this can get tricky. Maybe your mom or dad were the ones who were always demanding perfection or trying to trap you. That is not how God is. He made you the way you are. The Bible says that He knit us together in our mother’s womb. That means He knew us before we were even born. You can trust Him, even with your distrust. He is big enough to handle your questions and fear.