Freedom to Move Forward

Posted by Karen on Jul 1, 2012 | 2 comments

Freedom does not stand still. Hidden from the view of tourists is the broken chain wrapped around the feet of the Statue of Liberty, symbolizing the freedom of our beloved country to move forward.

Early in the Scriptures we read of an ancient people enslaved in Egypt and in need of liberation. The deliverance that the people of Israel experienced, however, was not merely freedom from past masters; it was also freedom for obedience to God. “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.” (Ex 9:1, NIV)

Worship of God is always the ultimate goal of deliverance, whether it’s from sin and death (Rom 8:2), salvation through good works (Rom 4), or physical corruption (Rom 8:21). The purpose of true freedom never ends with the absence of oppression, but the joyful possibility to (finally) obey God’s commands.

Psalm 119:45 (NLT) declares: “I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to Your commandments.”  When I seek out and pursue God’s precepts, I can go “wherever I like” (CJB), walking around “in wide-open spaces” (CEB), “at liberty and at ease” (AMP).

We gain “perfect freedom” (CEV) when we habitually follow the teachings in God’s Word! Just as Christ’s obedience to death on the cross provides freedom from our past bondage to sin, so we can rejoice in knowing that our obedience to Christ gives us freedom to move forward in life eternal.