freedom

"You have your freedom when you are easy in your harness." ~ Robert Frost

Freedom is an interesting thing. It does not mean absolute independence. I've mentioned some analogies in the past. Note that freedom is living within the construct of the nature of a thing. What is freeing to one is death to another (2 Cor 2.15-16).

"Real freedom only comes when I tether myself to the Freedom Giver." ~ Matt Massey

The analogy Massey gives is that of a kite. Without the being tethered to the kite master, the kite is merely garbage blowing in the wind (and even that not infinitely). But when tethered to the master, it is beautiful and can fly infinitely ... especially if we tease out the analogy a bit by noting the master is also the master of the wind.

Jesus told us the same thing (John 8.31-32). Only when we abide in him will we know the truth and be set free.

So what stops us from doing this? Massey offers two reasons:

• we have a wrong view of who Jesus is
• we want control

Our control is not only not an option, it is only an illusion. We are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness (Rom 6.19). We don't go from slaves to free. We go from slaves to slaves. But in slavery to righteousness is freedom. And this is by tethering ourselves to Christ (Rom 6.5-11).

Walter Brueggemann writes, "The entire morality of the New Testament is rooted in freedom, the freedom of the exodus and the freedom of the resurrection . . . It is the power of the resurrection that calls us to cope with evil . . . It is the turn of new life that enables us to live lives characterized by joy, peace, patience, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)."

In Christ Jesus, and only in Christ Jesus, can we be true versions of ourselves ... the best versions of ourselves.