Freedom
Freedom, Justice, and Citizenship
By Pastor Dan Kennedy
© July 3, 2011
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When we speak admirably about our country many people would often choose two or three areas, which exemplify why we are blessed to be citizens of this nation. Today I have chosen to emphasize Freedom and Justice, with a commentary on “dual citizenship”.
Freedom
One of the greatest desirability’s of our wonderful land could be summed up in one word: “freedom!”
What does freedom mean to you?
This freedom is often identified as one of the first elements of blessing in living in our country. Freedom is often illustrated through at least one of the following three areas of personal choice:
•Belief. Freedom to believe as we choose and worship according to the dictates of our own conscience.
•Location. Freedom to move from place to place… to travel and live, without the requirement of governmental permission, throughout our country.
•Occupation. Freedom to work in any occupation we wish.
We have the liberty to Believe as we choose, Live where we will, and have the Occupation we may determine to be the best for us. We thankfully live in a free country that offers us those personal benefits; there are many countries of the world that do not offer those freedoms.
God, on the other hand, expressed people’s freedom in two other levels.
How did God reveal what it meant to be free, in the Bible?
Liberty in the Old Testament was expressed in two ways:
•Personal freedom from bondage.
•The security of consistency in family property ownership.
Let’s look at what the Old Testament taught about personal freedom.
The Year of Jubilee
(Leviticus 25 & 27)
Personal freedom, and property rights in the Old Testament are modeled in the Jewish laws regarding the “Year of Jubilee”. This was a 50-year cycle in the Jewish calendar, bringing a recurring freedom to those Israelites who had become servants; and, restoration of property rights to original owners, whose land had been sold – keeping family land intact for future generations. Individual Jews could not be slaves perpetually, nor could land permanently be taken away from the historical division given to the Tribes of Israel by God.
God’s Children were not meant to live in perpetual bondage or be without the security of His heritage.
There is yet a deeper level of freedom.
Not only was there a protection of personal rights and property rights in the Old Testament, the New Testament gave the ultimate freedom: freedom for our spirit which had been bound in slavery to sin, which then led to death – physically and spiritually.
The Ultimate Freedom – Freedom of Spirit
We may be free to believe what we wish to believe, to live where we want to live, and to seek employment in any occupation that we may choose, and we may also not be in physical slavery or but we may be seriously bound up in our hearts and in our lives!
We may be bound by destructive thoughts, or by addictive habits. We may live in a free country but, at the same time, be seriously bound. This is the reason why Christ’s offers us spiritual freedom.
John 8:36
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
There are at least three areas of bondage from which Christ came to free us.
Freedom from…
•Bondage to Legalism
•Condemning Guilt
•Spiritual Death
Freedom from Bondage to Legalism
The Jewish people were bound by legalism to the Mosaic Law…
We, as New Testament Believers can be bound by legalism as well, if we believe that “doing” good things will bring us favor with God.
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• Jesus Christ has fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17), and has given us freedom from bondage to a “system of religion”; instead, giving us a Relationship with God!
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• We are to love one another and thus fulfill the Law (Galatians 5:14; James 2:8).
Freedom from the guilt of our naturally depraved nature…
Freedom from a Guilty Conscience
God gave us a conscience so we would be personally reminded when we sin against Him! Our relationship with God and the relief from guilt for our human and God-given conscience are critical reasons why Jesus Christ died on the Cross.
Areas in which we can have a guilty Conscience…(taken from the 10 Commandments)
• Trusting in something else more than in God.
o Our Wealth
o Our Assets
o Our Abilities
o Our Mind
o Our Friendships
o Our Alliances, etc.
• Setting up something or someone as having more power than God.
• Cursing and swearing and using God’s name profanely.
• Not setting aside a regular time to worship God.
• Disobeying and disrespecting our parents.
• Destroying others physically or verbally.
• Moral impurity, physically or mentally.
• Taking things that are not yours.
• Lying or gossiping about someone who trusts you.
• Coveting things for yourself that are someone else’s.
There are several ways we can deal with a conscience that condemns us:
1. Try to drown our guilt out through a number of ways.
2. Keep rejecting the warning our conscience gives us until our conscience becomes seared, defiled and evil.
3. Acknowledge our sin and ask God to forgive us – through the sacrifice that Jesus paid for our sins on the cross. A transfer of guilt, to He who bore our sin.
Scriptural Observations about our Conscience
o ASensitive Conscience (1 Corinthians 10:28)
o Grief or Pain of Conscience (1 Samuel 25:31)
o A Wounded Conscience (1 Corinthians 8:12)
o An Imperfect Conscience (Hebrews 9:9)
o An Accusing Conscience (Romans 2:15)
o An Excused Conscience (Romans 2:15)
o A Weak Conscience (1 Corinthians 8:7, 10)
o A Seared Conscience (1 Timothy 4:2)
o A Defiled Conscience (1 Corinthians 8:7; Titus 1:15)
o An Evil Conscience (Hebrews 10:22)
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‣ A Discerning Conscience (1 Corinthians 10:29)
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‣ A Convicting Conscience (Romans 9:1)
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‣ A Purified Conscience (Hebrews 9:14)
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‣ A Cleansed Conscience (Hebrews 10:22)
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‣ A Clear Conscience (1 Timothy 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:3; Romans 9:1; Hebrews 13:18)
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‣ A Good Conscience: “Love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.” (1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Peter 3:16, 21)
Only the Power of Christ’s Sacrificial and Redemptive Blood is able to free us and to cleanse us from sin and a guilty conscience, which leads to spiritual death and eternal punishment.
Hebrews 9:14
14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Romans 8:1-2
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
Justice
God is a God of Justice
Deuteronomy 10:17–18
17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.
Deuteronomy 16:18–20
18 “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. 19 You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. 20 Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
God chose Abraham because he would evidence Righteousness and Justice to future generations
Genesis 18
17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”
Justice is an inherent part of our being made “in the image of God”.
One of the primary attributes of God is that He is Just.
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‣ We naturally react against injustice.
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‣ We long to live in a just land.
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‣ We long to serve alongside people who are honorable, Godly and just.
We live in a depraved, unjust, greedy, selfish and delusional world.
As it has been said, “There are two sides to every story.” There may be partial truths on both sides. Justice is not always evident, and cannot always be clearly revealed.
The Wisdom of Solomon was verified through Justice
Solomon was considered very wise when faced with difficult circumstances, such as discovering the true mother of a child, between two women, when he threatened to “divide the baby”. In doing so he found a way to reveal to everyone present, the identity of the “real” mother, through their own reactive responses. He was just and people rejoiced that he was their leader.
For the Believer in Christ, we stand against injustice, but for the honorable follower of Christ, injustice cannot be rectified through vengeance or retaliation.
Citizenship
As believers in Jesus Christ living on the earth, we are those who have “Dual Citizenship”.
We are citizens in the country in which we live; and, we have our citizenship in heaven!
In healthy and responsible participation in the life and health of the places in which we are citizens, we are able to contribute and benefit from our relationships with those in whose country we faithfully serve.
Philippians 3:20
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Becoming a member of the Body of Christ is similar to an alien becoming a citizen. One may live in the country, but one may not part of that country.
You can come to church but not be a member of the Family of God – this is much more than church membership; citizenship in heaven is because of our personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
See: A Simple Explanation of Salvation
Countries, which are Mine
By Dan and Julianne Kennedy
The land in which I live today is beautiful and free,
It is land of hopeful dreams
Of many thoughts and creeds.
It is a land of plenty, with cities, farms and towns,
With mountains, seas and forest lands
Where abundant life is found!
This land lets me explore, whatever I choose to see!
In it I live where ‘ere I choose
To be what I can be!
I have another country, which is built to be my home
A city where my spirit is free
Where God has called His own.
When I leave this earthly land, where I freely live,
My spirit will soar to heights above
My heart to Christ I give.
That day I will rejoice, around God’s Holy Throne
With those who chose eternal life
In God’s eternal Home!
