Pastor’s Corner: “True Emancipation”
2 Corinthians 3:17 (AMP) – 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom].
When we think of prison, we usually visualize a cell with bars and guards patrolling the halls. But there are other kinds of prison. Many people live in spacious and comfortable homes with all the perks, but they are still in prison. And others serving prison terms behind bars are experiencing freedom because they have found a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
From the earliest pages of the Bible, we see a major theme developing: freedom. The God of the Exodus is a God who frees the slaves. Paul reminds us that liberation is the goal of our salvation, saying, “It was for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Gal. 5:1). And John tells us that our emancipation is real, for “if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). We can go further and say that God’s message to us in the gospels is one of radical freedom. It as a sort of prison break—because Jesus rescues us from bondage to oppression, sin, and death.
In the United States, freedom is one of our nation’s core values. But when we say the word, often we mean something like: Getting to do what I want to do, which can include things that are selfish, not good and even self-destructive. It’s worth asking: How does our American definition of freedom match up with God’s definition?
FREEDOM FROM AND FOR – True freedom is not only from the bad things, but also for the good things. Yes, God liberated the Israelites from the oppressive power of Egypt, but He also delivered them to Himself. His people were bound in a covenant relationship of life-giving love. It was this very union with God—under His protection, provision, and embrace—that guarded Israel from being enslaved again under the surrounding hostile powers. In other words, being bound to God brings liberty. We tend to think of freedom as pure independence, a license to do whatever we want. But the gospel envisions true freedom as interdependence, joined in communion with the presence of God. He is the One we are made for. As Paul puts it, “Now the Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV). TRUE EMANCIPATION IS FOUND IN CHRIST JESUS.
When Eve accepted Satan’s offer of greater independence from God, do you think she experienced more freedom? The answer is obvious. She, Adam, and the entire human race became enslaved to sin from that point onward. What looked like a great deal ended in deadly bondage. Although Christ has set believers free from slavery to sin, we, like Eve, oftentimes long for the “freedom” to do what we want. But whenever we give in to sinful desires, we’re behaving like slaves instead of living as free children of God. He’s given us the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to say no to sin if we’ll just yield to His leadership.
When God’s ways become our ways, the paths we walk become more spacious. As the psalmist rejoices, “I will walk at liberty, for I seek your precepts” (Psalm 119:45). God’s guidance leads us away from the destructive trails we walk down and the cages awaiting us at their end—and instead invites us to dwell with Him in the fresh air of open places.
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton