Building the Kingdom of God; Freedom

May 8

Read: Galatians 5:1,13, Luke 4:18,19, Romans 6:6,7:6, 8:2, Heb. 2:14,15

Building the Kingdom of God;

Freedom

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Gal. 5:1)

“He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives…to set at liberty those who are oppressed…” - Jesus (Luke 14)

The Kingdom of God is a place of FREEDOM. The people of God have been set free! We are free from sin which once enslaved us! (Rom. 6:6) We are free from the law which once held us captive. (Rom. 7:6, 8:2) We are free from being lifelong slaves to the fear of dying. (Heb. 2:14,15) Jesus has rescued us from sin, death, and the Devil. We are no longer slaves … no longer captives… no longer trapped or kidnapped. We are FREE!

The Devil and his realm are marked by slavery and control. The Devil’s “empire” or the “domain of darkness” is a place of manipulation. We see this worked out every time a person is oppressed by evil spirits or demons in the scriptures. One of the key markers of an evil spirit problem is a person having those spirits seek to control them and their actions… they seek to enslave and destroy the person. (cf. John 10:10) I recall listening to Jamie Winship talk about the demon-afflicted man of the Gerasenes and he pointed out that the response of the city was to chain up the man and cast him out. When Jesus arrives, he sets the man FREE by casting out the demons! This is a perfect example of the two paradigms! The kingdom is not a place of “chains” but rather a place of “freedom”. This is what Jesus is coming to do… he says as much in Luke 4.

It is more tempting to function out of the “devilish paradigm” than one might realize. We actually see it worked out all around us. This is at the root of many modern institutions. You see, when you stop believing that there is any sort of God or higher power above you … above the institution… above the “government” of sorts… then that institution seeks to become “god”… to play that role of the all-seeing, all-knowing, and all-powerful one. In short, they seek to control in a way that only God Most High can and should. This seeking to “control”- to see everything, know everything, manage everything - becomes oppressive and tyrannical to the people within their scope. Just look at the tyrannical dictatorships around the globe - these are demonic at their core! Yet, how often do we approach the world around us and instead of seeking to or believing that it could be healed, restored, and set free… our best hope is simply attempting to manage or control the brokenness? This is akin to trying to “chain it up” as opposed to stepping off the boat and “set free”. (cf. Mark 5 / Jesus and the demoniac)

Jesus is calling us into His Kingdom and it is a place where what is demonic and evil is cast out not just chained up! Jesus doesn’t come seeking to restrict us… he comes seeking to transform us, to heal us, to free us! When we come face to face with the brokenness of the Devil’s Empire - we must not respond in devilish ways. The powerful work Jesus in us and through us ushers in his Kingdom… a place marked by freedom from “captivity”. Jesus is truly the victorious one and so is his Kingdom. The light is victorious over the darkness… always… sooner or later. What are some ways you are trying to “control” instead of leaning into Christ and trusting him to transform and bring freedom? Have you been taught that the Kingdom of God is a place of restriction and enslavement instead of a place of freedom and joy? Do you think God is a manipulator like the devil… and that his Kingdom is the same as the evil one’s? “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Gal. 5:1) Love you guys! - JDP