Transcript:

Hello this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to “The Kingdom Perspective”.

What is our purpose as human beings? God designed us to glorify and enjoy Him.

We do this by faithfully obeying His commandments. God designed us for Himself and only to the degree we are obeying His commandments are we actually free. Therefore, when we are lovingly obeying the commands of God, we are not only fulfilling our design, but we are also maximizing our freedom.

However, because of sin, this is not the way our minds intuitively think. Rather, we tend to think of “freedom” as not being restrained by a law or a law giver. However, in the gospel nothing could be further from the truth.

So, for example, when I choose to obey the command not to commit adultery, I am not limiting my sexual freedom. Rather, I am fulfilling it. I am living into the freedom of the God-given design of my sexual nature.

When I obey the command not to covet my neighbor’s possessions, I am not limiting my freedom, but I am living into my freedom. I am living in the freedom of not being a slave of envy. I have the freedom to be thankful to God for all that He has given to me.

When I obey the command not to steal, I have the freedom to be in good relationship with my neighbor, to nurture and enjoy unbroken community with him.

And when I obey the command not to lie (i.e. not to bear false witness), I am not limiting my freedom, but rather living into the freedom of truth. Remember, it was Jesus who said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32).

The truth of God’s commandments do not constrain my freedom, they define them.

And that’s something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.”

~ John 9:31-38 (NASB)