What is freedom? And what is freedom in Christ?
I spent six years (in the midst of church planting) trying to explain the latter thought in my PhD dissertation at Durham University.
The subject has resurfaced lately with the renewed emphasis on the historical wrongs of slavery. And if you understand slavery, you understand freedom.
At church recently, we listened to the story of a Canadian couple wrongfully imprisoned by the Chinese government for two years, and released only after a worldwide outcry at the injustice. The accusation was espionage, but their real crime was being Christians. They were placed in solitary confinement, not even knowing whether the other was alive. Miraculously, they were allowed to keep their Bibles, and that plus the help of the Holy Spirit got them through. They were even able to witness to and pray for their captors.
The problem with much of the discussion around freedom is that it trivializes and reduces freedom to the level of my getting as big a share of the pie as the next person, which inevitably winds up with people expanding their share of freedom at the expense of others.
But the story of this couple illustrates a profound Biblical truth alluded to by Paul. He told us that to be truly free is to be a slave of Christ, and by contrast if you enjoy earthly freedom but are an unbeliever, you are in truth a slave to the powers of evil. And they will eventually imprison you more effectively than even the Chinese government can manage.
There is a trend in current Christian thinking that accommodates the values of pagan culture, including toleration of various forms of sin. We want to offer people more freedom, but what we fail to realize is that these are ways the enemy draws us deeper into bondage.
This has been a year in which we have lost many of our freedoms. Freedom of free association, freedom to travel, even to some extent freedom to worship. We must ensure that governments are never again allowed to use such extraordinary measures unless, God forbid, similar circumstances warrant.
But this has also been a year in which as Christians we have the opportunity to realize that the most profound freedom we have is one we can keep even in a Chinese jail cell — our freedom from sin and from the hold of the kingdom of darkness.
Watchman Nee used that freedom in another Chinese jail cell many years ago to father one of the greatest revivals in history.
Human freedom is a worthy goal, and human repression is reprehensible in the sight of God, no matter what form it takes.
But human freedom is only temporary and shallow by comparison with true freedom in Christ.
If you’re a Christian, use this time of restriction to expand your appreciation and exercise of the freedom this world cannot give and cannot take away.
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AWAKENING MINISTRIES // FOUNDATION of FAITH Project
Foundation of Faith Project is strengthening generations in faith and bringing beautiful changes to the communities around them. Through teaching, mentoring and coaching, many are finding out who they are and who they are destined to be. They are bringing more to their world. David Campbell is the key leader in this initiative and you can support him financially directly through Awakening Ministries.
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