“The Gift of Freedom”

Scripture: Romans 8:18-30

In our recent consideration of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, they were being reminded of what their faith should have meant to them, and what they had sacrificed by turning back to the demands of the law. In essence, they had forfeited the freedom that faith in Jesus Christ had gained them, in favor of voluntarily accepting the control and bondage that the law imposes on them.

Freedom is a precious commodity, whether it is related to our human lives, or to our spiritual ones, and regardless of its form, it is costly. Frederick Douglass, the famous abolitionist and author, wrote:
If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom yet [denounce] agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground; they want rain without thunder or lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.

--Frederick Douglass, address on West India Emancipation, August 4, 1857.

As our country celebrates our Independence Day on July 4th, there will be a lot of parties and fireworks, but, quite honestly, there will be little reflection on what freedom had demanded of countless millions of our citizens. Struggle, conflict, war, sacrifice, and blood are inherit in the fight to gain, preserve and restore liberty. Many in our nation are put off by this fact, so they simply ignore it.
As Christians, the freedom that faith in Jesus Christ has won for us also requires sacrifice – primarily on the part of God Himself, but interesting enough, many people have also given their all in the name of faith in Christ. It is estimated that over the centuries, 70 million people have lost their lives because of their Christian faith, and over 45 million of them in just the last century! (Susan Brinkmann, "The greatest story never told: Modern Christian martyrdom," Catholic Online Website, catholic.org. December 5, 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2013.)

Freedom is never free.

Read Romans 8:18-21

The glory that we will know one day makes all of the persecution and oppression and suffering that Christians are forced to endure by the world dim in comparison. And Paul should know - he suffered plenty! In 2 Corinthians 11:20-29, Paul lists the many afflictions and hardships that he has had to undergo, and it is quite a list – imprisonment, floggings and beatings, shipwrecks, sleeplessness, hunger, and the like, and he rejoices in those things because they create weakness within him. He knows what awaits him, and faithfulness during the trials of earth, those attacks that force weakness upon him, earn him a place in glory.

And this isn’t just a vision or expectation of God’s glory, it is a certainty. And it isn’t just Christians who have this great anticipation and promise, it is all of creation that is eager to see the day when the faithful of God will be revealed! Paul writes that the animate as well as the inanimate are trembling for that great day when The Lord will make all truth fully known. It may seem a bit odd that all created things, such as the sun and the oceans and the mountains and the flowers and the animals and birds and fish, as well as unbelievers are waiting for that day. But perhaps Paul’s point is that all of creation will, one day, know of God’s glory, even though some will never get to enjoy it. Newness and change will come, regardless of the depth, or even existence, of personal faith. And that change will be eternal in nature.

Creation is, at present, being held back from that freedom – we are all being subjected to captivity in sin and decay and death, until the day when the created order will no longer deteriorate in weakness and failure. And in Paul’s words – all will be freed from its captivity!

Read Romans 8:22-27

He compares this time of waiting to the labor pain that childbirth requires. My wife told me that, in her former life as a registered nurse, she had known labor to continue for as long as 1-2 days before the baby is delivered. I can’t even imagine what the mother goes through during that time – the pain and the exhaustion must be overwhelming! In John 16:20-21, Jesus describes this time of waiting for his return as our labor pains, but he tells us that when the child is born, the pain is forgotten because of the joy of holding this new life.
So will it be on that Freedom Day! But until that day, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit to encourage and comfort us. Does that imply that the Spirit will lessen or even eliminate the pain of this wait? Hardly! But the Spirit will continue to remind us of the impending glory that is just around the corner, waiting for us, praying for us, preparing for our arrival. Jesus’ gift of salvation was the first part of that day, and the Spirit’s work in our lives is the second part of our journey to glory.

And that is the hope that we have by faith in Jesus. All too often, though, we see hope only as a desire, and not a certainty. The truth is that Hope is far more than simply “wishing upon a star” – it is our anticipation and eagerness for this coming event. In Romans 5:5, Paul wrote that “hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who he has given us.” The Holy Spirit is not only our Advocate and Truth (John 14:15-17), but he is God’s Promise, and our Hope, of Life!

And if that isn’t enough, the Spirit is our Intercessor. When the pains and burdens of this life become so great that we can’t even find the words to pray, the Spirit will do it for us. When the struggle becomes so oppressive that words can never describe it, the Spirit will groan that pain to God on our behalf. The Lord understands the difficulty of this life, and has put everything in place to make our journey promising, if not pleasant.

Read Romans 28-30

God hasn’t freed us from the pressures and temptations of earth, nor has he taken the pain away, but he has put everything in order that we might be assured of his promise as heirs to his glory. His freedom is not from oppression, trial and temptation, but from fear and loss and doubt and death. It all centers on our love of God.

For Israel, this call to love God was paramount. In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, we read the Shema “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.”
In Matthew 22:34-40 Jesus told the inquiring Pharisee that this was the greatest commandment , and Paul now tells us that this commandment is the basis for a life in glory. God knows those who love him, and he doesn’t know those who do not (Matthew 7:21-23). And those who he knows will be “conformed”, or shaped to the image of Christ, which means that we will not only experience death as Christ did, but we will know the resurrected life that he gained. And for those who have been elevated as co-heirs with Christ, he has called them to service in his name. And those who have accepted this call are judged as worthy to be in the presence of Almighty God. And when we come to his presence, we will know for certain the full extent of his glory.

Talk about freedom! And it all begins when we profess our love of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And that is one incredible beginning!