The Spirit of Liberty
2 Corinthians 3:17 ‘Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.’
Liberty or freedom is considered to be a fundamental right of citizens of most democratic countries. But even freedom has its limitations, and no one can ever be free to do anything and everything they desire. In spite of that, we see people who promote slogans such as ‘just do it’, or ‘it’s my body and I can do what I want with it.’ The bottom line is that freedom without restraints or responsibilities soon results in chaos or lawlessness. However, within the Christian life, one is never truly free until he/she yields their life to God and accepts the way of life that He has intended for them. Most people do not realize that they are living a life in captivity to the devil and forces of evil. They are trapped and ensnared in a lifestyle from which there is no escape without the intervention of God. They may be able to live a moral life to some extent in their own strength, but only the work of God’s Holy Spirit is able to release them from the grip of sin. And although the principle flies in the face of human rationality, true freedom is achievable only when a person is completely surrendered to the will and purposes of God.
There is an old hymn which begins ‘Make me a captive Lord and then I shall be free.’ It no doubt sounds contradictory, but only God has the power to take possession of a person’s life, and at the same time enable the ‘captive’ to experience true freedom. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 10:5 urged Christians to ‘bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’ A life of liberty begins when a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Saviour, but is consummated when that life is fully surrendered, and Christ also becomes their Lord.