Freedom is not the freedom to indulge the flesh, it’s freedom from the flesh.
One thing that most of us can agree on, is that our fleshly desires usually end up in temporary happiness, but long term regret. When we base our concept of freedom on being able to do whatever we feel like doing, we are actually not free at all, but are chained down by our impulse to satisfy our fleshly desires, no matter what it takes.
There was a time in my life when I had a problem with alcohol. It was something that my flesh desired and was very content when getting it. But that wasn’t freedom. I might have been free to walk into a bar and buy a drink or ten, but I was in bondage by the very thing that I wanted more than anything. Getting what you want, isn’t freedom. Not having control over desires that are to your own detriment, is bondage.
The sad news is that we do not have the power to break the chains of our desires. The Good News is that someone does. More than 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to this world. And His mission was to die! Why on Earth, would the King of Kings, leave His throne and choose to do something that would cause the world leaders of the time, to doubt His power and authority. It just didn’t make Earthly sense.
There is one reason why Jesus chose to be humiliated, punched, whipped, spat on, and die… LOVE. Because He loves us, He wants the best for us. And the best for us is for the chains to be broken that anchor us to our fleshly desires. Those fleshly desires that lead to destruction and death. And when you love someone, you want the best for them. Jesus died on that cross because He wants the best for us… True Freedom.
So today, as we remember our Saviour who took our place on that cross, why don’t you choose a life in Him. A life free from bondage and destruction. If you do, you can say, like Jesus did; “It is done!”
Mark Davidson
