Freedom in Christ

Who are the really free people in the world? Are they the rich and famous? Are they the
ones that everyone likes? Are they the ones with a great education?

I've got news for you: Most of the people that we meet are under a great bondage. They
may look okay, but God's word describes it this way: " . . . While they promise them
liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome,
of the same is he brought in bondage." II Peter 2: 19.

That's right! For anyone who sins, he has traded in his freedom from sin, and has become
a bondservant of Satan. Satan, the Bible says, is the father of lies. One of the names for
Satan, Beelzebub, means "lord of the flies." Satan is a horrible master, doing the worst
for his servants and never giving them a square deal. Who are some of his servants?

* The drug addict who would love to give it up, but who cannot escape the bondage to
which he has initially and ignorantly agreed.
* The sexual pervert who hates his ways and hates his life, but cannot muster the will
power all on his own to put an end to his habits
* The thief who brings grief to his neighbors as he finds himself unable to overcome
his lust of the eyes
* The foul-mouthed person who would love to praise God, but who has found that the
Devil has the upper hand of him.

How has Satan enslaved people? People have three distinct styles of weakness, as
described in

I John 2: 15-17: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Each one of
us has a weakness in at least one of those three areas. Those who have the lust of the flesh
as a weakness have a hard time being temperate in their eating, or drinking, or sex life, or
with substance abuse. Those who have a hard time with the lust of the eyes have
difficulty with materialism-they want to buy too much, or they may steal from their
neighbors. And those whose weakness comes from the pride of life have a hard time
getting along with others because there just aren't that many people interested in spending
a lot of time doing the care and feeding of other's egos.

Man cannot save himself, all by himself. Let's get that understood up front. Without
Jesus, no one can be saved. It's like James said in James 2: 10-"For whosoever shall keep
the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." Most people by the time
they are 10 or 12 years old have already done enough sin to deserve to spend eternity in
Hell. It has happened so fast that they did not realize the serious of what they had done in
taking someone else's lunch money, or sneaking a peek into the girls' restroom, or taking
God's name in vain. Well did Paul say it in Romans 3: 23-"For all have sinned, and fall
short of the glory of God."
Where does Jesus fit into all of this? Jesus came that man might have life, and have it
more abundantly (John 10: 10). He reflects the desire of God that no one should perish,
but that all should come to repentance (II Peter 3: 9) Jesus came that people might learn
from Him about the Father who loves them so much, and that people might turn their
lives around so that they become more like God.

God is not going to force people to go to Heaven. Heaven is a prepared place for a
prepared people. The main task of this life is for us to decide, and to show God, whether
we want to live in Hell or Heaven after this life is over. The way we live shows our
decision.

Will many decide to go to Heaven? See Matthew 7: 21-27. Few will be going to heaven.
Most people will fritter their opportunities away and then go to judgment unprepared. At
the judgment, they will be judged according to their works (see Revelation 20: 11-15) . . .
and the only works they have will be bad ones. Hell will be a very crowded place. No one
in his right mind wants to go there.

Hell is a place of fire, extreme discomfort, and darkness. See these passages: Luke 13:
28; Luke 16: 25; Luke 17: 29, 30; Revelation 20: 10. And there are many more that talk
about Hell. Hell is not a laughing matter.

What do we do to go to Heaven? It would help to make friends with the judge! For it is
Jesus who will confess us before the Father (Matthew 10: 32, 33), and it will be Jesus
who will be giving the verdicts (Matthew 25: 31, 32). We need to build a friendship with
Jesus now . . . while it is the day of salvation . . . before it's too late.

Jesus asks that we hear about him (Romans 10: 17) and that we have faith in Him and in
God the Father (Hebrews 11: 6); that we repent of living a life of sin (Acts 2: 38; Luke
13: 3; Acts 3: 19); He asks that we confess him before men (Matthew 10: 32, 33), and
that we be baptized for the remission or forgiveness of sins (Acts 2: 38; Acts 22: 16;
Matthew 28: 19). Is that too much for Him to ask of you, in exchange for forgiving your
sins and taking you home to Heaven with Him? And he asks us to live a life as He would
have us live it, instead of living it as Satan would have us live it.

When we have done this, we will be free indeed. "If the Son therefore shall make you
free, ye shall be free indeed." John 8: 36. He will help you stop your drug addiction, your
alcoholism, your sex addiction, your compulsive stealing. Give Jesus a chance.