The Pursuit

John 8 If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciple, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. They answered Him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been slaved to anyone! How is it that You say, "You will become free"?

Jesus answered them, Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever, the Son remains forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham, yet you seek to kill Me because My Word finds no place in you.

Freedom is oftentimes an illusive idea. We, as Americans, live in the "land of the free". We pride ourselves on being free. Freedom of speech. Freedom of the press. Freedom of religion. Financial freedom.

But are we really free? And what does freedom cost?

Jesus changes our perspective of freedom. Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.

Sometimes freedom is found within the boundaries of the Law. For instance if I want to remain free from prison I must obey the laws of the time. Do not steal. Do not murder. If I want to remain free of disease I will refrain from smoking, eat healthy or be monogamous. But even at my very best I am not guaranteed freedom. The innocent go to prison. People who have never smoked get cancer. Children are born to parents infected with HIV.

Even before sin entered the world there was still boundaries to freedom. There was still a law, only one, and that was broken by the very first family.

True freedom by human standards my be an impossibility in this life, in this flesh.

But is the Son sets you free....If the truth sets you free....You are free indeed.

Do you long for freedom? Then the first question might be, To what are you enslaved?

What was the first thing that came to mind?

I wish I had to answer to the question. I do not. What I do know is this. For me, at least, and I believe for all of us, true freedom is found only by turning to the One who is able to free us.

If money could free us, if fame could free us, if drugs or alcohol or freedom could free us we would be free.

Truth frees us.

We were built with a hole in our lives that is only filled by our creator. Nothing and no one will ever be adequate to meet our need for Him.

If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciple, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. So, if you Son sets you free, you are free indeed.

Father we have become willing slaves to so many things. We are enslaved to the pursuit of freedom itself. As we learn to abide in You, reveal Yourself to us. Lead us to the freedom that is found in You alone.

Ephesians 5 Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Proverbs 21 The kings heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever He will.