Free

“and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”  John 8:32

Free – The New Testament might have been written in Greek but it is not Greek in its thought patterns.  When it comes to “freedom”, the New Testament is miles away from our current cultural thinking about “freedom”.  We are Greeks.  God isn’t.

In the Greek culture (and in our own), freedom is synonymous with independent self-determination.  For the Greeks, this implied an inward liberation of the soul, freeing itself from attachments to this world through denial of passions and desires.  We have altered the implications a bit.  For us, freedom is usually some form of “no one can tell me how I am going to live my life”.  Of course, the logical extension of this kind of freedom is chaos.  Our culture is aimed in that direction.  Unless we change our fundamental thinking about freedom, we will arrive at a place where “tolerance” means that every person does whatever he or she feels like doing.  That has always resulted in disaster.

The New Testament uses the Greek word eleutheros (free), but it does not have independence or self-determination in mind at all.  In the Bible, freedom means being able to choose your own master.  Freedom never means independence.  There is no such thing as independence.  There is only one master or another.  Either you are a slave to sin or you choose to be a slave to God.  The first is involuntary; the second voluntary.  But neither one allows self-determination.  The greatest myth in the world is the myth of independent freedom.  Until we realize that freedom means only the choice between masters, we will live in an illusion.  That is the truth!

Jesus died to free us from sin.  Every Christian knows this.  But what does it mean?  Does it mean that Jesus’ death turns you loose to live life on your own terms?  Not a chance!  Does it mean that the cross removed your obligation as a slave to God? No way!  Jesus’ sacrifice brings real freedom – the freedom that allows you to live in obedience to God.  It does not bring independence.  His death wipes away the barrier that prevented you from being what you were intended to be:  completely dependent on God. 

Now what do you think about knowing the truth that sets you free?  Are you free?  You can answer that question easily.  Just ask if your life is a reflection of complete dependence.  Freedom is all about whom you serve.