Ultimate Freedom
Title: Ultimate Freedom
Subject: Forgiveness
Volume VI Issue 27
07/03/2006
May God Bless You This Day ... With The Ultimate Freedom!
Once when I was participating in a satanic activity, or as my wife likes to call it, shopping, I noticed a young mother with her 3 year old son. He was quite attached to her. Literally. She had him in a harness with a lease, and though he struggled, she was able to keep him under control and out of harm. I could tell by his constant whining that he clearly wanted his freedom. Finally the mother's will was broken and she released the prisoner. With a shriek of joy, he ran wildly around the displays, counters and customers, straight into a wall. His screams were deafening.
On July 4 each year, we in the U.S. celebrate Independence Day. It's a time of family, fun, and fireworks. It's also a time when we hear a lot about freedom. Though the word is used quite often, few understand it. Many believe freedom means the ability to say and do and be whatever they want. Sorta like a 3 year old. But such freedom requires making everyone around them do what they want so they can have this freedom. Good for them. Bad for the rest of us.
Freedom must have a reference. There is no such thing as total or absolute freedom, only things we can be free from. But there's also a catch. For every freedom, there is a restraint. We can have freedom of speech, but can't yell "Fire" in a theatre. We can have freedom of assembly but not to cause a riot. Yet for all the freedoms we may hold dear or long for, there is only one that really matters. Only one that carries beyond the confines and reaches of this world. Only one that has lasting meaning.
Once as Jesus sat in the temple courts, a group of people gathered, bringing with them a certain woman. "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" ... But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? "No one, sir," she said.
Then neither do I condemn you , Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin. John 8:4-11
This is a story of Freedom ... Man's Freedom versus God's Freedom. On the one hand, just look at all of Man's Freedoms here. This group of guys gathered together, so there was freedom to assemble. They publicly told the truth about this woman, freedom of speech. They were following their own theology, freedom of religion. And as for the woman, well, she was just exercising her freedom to live life any way she chose. But all of these freedoms, those real and imagined, meant nothing to Jesus.
Have you ever wondered what Jesus was writing in the sand? No one is certain, but here's what I believe. As the woman stood before Him and those in the crowd demanded "judgment", Jesus was making a list of the sins of each. Adultery, pride, jealousy, evil desires. They questioned Him further and still He wrote. Greed, anger, rage, malice, slander. So what did it all mean?
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Romans 6:6-7
God grants the ultimate freedom...freedom from sin. Freedom from its effect on us emotionally, physically, and psychologically. Freedom from the shame that it brings. Freedom from its control on our lives and how we feel about ourselves and others. Freedom to enter into a relationship with Someone who will always listen to us, always care for us, and always love, yes, even us.
So what's the catch? What's the restraint we must accept? Simply to love Him in return. When we do, our sins, like words written in the dust, are washed away by the Living Water, never to be seen again.
Take care and be God's,
Chuck
Ciloa ... Encouraging one another as long as it is called Today!
Ciloa is a registered trademark of Ciloa, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
A Note of Encouragement is a copyright interest held by Ciloa, Inc.
07/03/2006
May God Bless You This Day ... With The Ultimate Freedom!
Once when I was participating in a satanic activity, or as my wife likes to call it, shopping, I noticed a young mother with her 3 year old son. He was quite attached to her. Literally. She had him in a harness with a lease, and though he struggled, she was able to keep him under control and out of harm. I could tell by his constant whining that he clearly wanted his freedom. Finally the mother's will was broken and she released the prisoner. With a shriek of joy, he ran wildly around the displays, counters and customers, straight into a wall. His screams were deafening.
On July 4 each year, we in the U.S. celebrate Independence Day. It's a time of family, fun, and fireworks. It's also a time when we hear a lot about freedom. Though the word is used quite often, few understand it. Many believe freedom means the ability to say and do and be whatever they want. Sorta like a 3 year old. But such freedom requires making everyone around them do what they want so they can have this freedom. Good for them. Bad for the rest of us.
Freedom must have a reference. There is no such thing as total or absolute freedom, only things we can be free from. But there's also a catch. For every freedom, there is a restraint. We can have freedom of speech, but can't yell "Fire" in a theatre. We can have freedom of assembly but not to cause a riot. Yet for all the freedoms we may hold dear or long for, there is only one that really matters. Only one that carries beyond the confines and reaches of this world. Only one that has lasting meaning.
Once as Jesus sat in the temple courts, a group of people gathered, bringing with them a certain woman. "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" ... But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? "No one, sir," she said.
Then neither do I condemn you , Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin. John 8:4-11
This is a story of Freedom ... Man's Freedom versus God's Freedom. On the one hand, just look at all of Man's Freedoms here. This group of guys gathered together, so there was freedom to assemble. They publicly told the truth about this woman, freedom of speech. They were following their own theology, freedom of religion. And as for the woman, well, she was just exercising her freedom to live life any way she chose. But all of these freedoms, those real and imagined, meant nothing to Jesus.
Have you ever wondered what Jesus was writing in the sand? No one is certain, but here's what I believe. As the woman stood before Him and those in the crowd demanded "judgment", Jesus was making a list of the sins of each. Adultery, pride, jealousy, evil desires. They questioned Him further and still He wrote. Greed, anger, rage, malice, slander. So what did it all mean?
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Romans 6:6-7
God grants the ultimate freedom...freedom from sin. Freedom from its effect on us emotionally, physically, and psychologically. Freedom from the shame that it brings. Freedom from its control on our lives and how we feel about ourselves and others. Freedom to enter into a relationship with Someone who will always listen to us, always care for us, and always love, yes, even us.
So what's the catch? What's the restraint we must accept? Simply to love Him in return. When we do, our sins, like words written in the dust, are washed away by the Living Water, never to be seen again.
Take care and be God's,
Chuck
Ciloa ... Encouraging one another as long as it is called Today!
Ciloa is a registered trademark of Ciloa, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
A Note of Encouragement is a copyright interest held by Ciloa, Inc.