Freedom in the Spirit!
Last week, I was invited to minister in a local Daytona Beach, Florida church. We gathered to remember the Feast of Tabernacles on Sunday morning and continued worshipping and praising God. When I spoke the Word of God and ministered to the congregation, I felt and operated with great freedom in my spirit to not hold back but to share everything the Holy Spirit led me to share. It was a special time of the ministry, and I thank the Lord for the favor and access God granted me with that great congregation. The main reason for such freedom was that the church's leaders received me joyfully and trusted me with their genuine relationship over the years.
You may ask me if that is not the case in all places of the ministry. I am free in only certain areas of the ministry, while in other places, I am restricted from sharing all that I came to share.
Jesus could not do mighty work because of the familiarity and unbelief of the citizens of His town, Nazareth: “When (Jesus) had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?’ So, they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.’ Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:54-58).
Let me describe to you personally what makes me free, and free, and operate in freedom in spirit.
There is No One But Christ Who Has Set Me Free!
No one sets us free from sin as Christ Jesus does. Jesus came to set us free from sin: “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:34-36).
I am no longer a slave to sin though I have fallen many times. The longing for freedom makes me get up without allowing my enemy to rejoice over me: “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me” (Micah 7:8). When I walk daily in the freedom my Jesus paid for me on the cross, I am free indeed!
Truth Keeps Me Free!
“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’” (John 8:31-32).
The Word of God brings honesty to my life to set me free and keep me free. I have found abiding in the Word of God, and being willing to listen, repent, and walk in the truth of God sets me free and keeps me free. David prays: “Remove from me the way of lying and grant me Your law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me” (Psalm 119:29-30).
I set the tone of freedom from my family. It begins with me knowing God through His Word, walking in His truth and transparency with my spouse, children, and all that God has committed into my hands.
Sin Chokes Freedom!
Sin is separation from God and departing from God’s will. David’s delight was in doing God’s will: “I delight to do Your will, O my God and Your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). King David thanked God for his deliverance from his enemies while pledging to God that he would keep God’s ways and depart from iniquity: “The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His judgments were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me. I was also blameless before Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity. Therefore, the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.” (Psalm 18:20-24). Sin is a transgression from God’s law, and iniquity is a violation of God’s will. We need to be both sin-free and iniquity-free.
I must constantly listen to God, adhere to God’s desires, and go only to the places where God sends me, or else, I will not operate in total freedom. It is God’s will through the delight of God’s Word that liberates me whereas running away from God’s will hoping that God will change His mind will only lead me to frustration.
Servants of Righteousness!
“And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness…But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness (unto sanctification), and the end, everlasting life” (Romans 6:18, 22).
There is something I have learned over the years, and that is to be a bondservant of God and not settle for any titles man can give me. It is that commitment to becoming a ‘slave to righteousness,’ and a ‘slave of God’ that keeps me free. “Slave of God’ is a good title to possess. Flattery leads to deception, and deception takes away from doing God’s perfect will and thus forbids my freedom. I am no longer free when I am people-conscious more than being God-conscious!
Freedom from Condemnation!
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2).
I have found that my flesh interferes with my freedom and is more dangerous and powerful than Satan himself. Walking in the Spirit demands my submission and crucifixion of the flesh at the altars of God: “I beseech (urge) you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable (rational) service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2). Yielding to the Spirit of God follows the submission of my flesh at the altars with a wholesome fear of God. It is the daily exercise which when I commit to it, then my freedom is unlimited! I don’t want to hear from the devil, “Jesus I know, Paul I know, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15). I want to hear my Lord say, “Come, My good and faithful servant, enjoy My rest.”
The Anointing Sets Me Free!
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed (downtrodden)” (Luke 4:18).
Jesus opened the scroll and read from Isaiah 61:1 and confirmed His anointing. Jesus knew that He was in the place where the Father placed Him and anointed Him for His office. Likewise, my freedom comes from knowing that I am called, anointed, and placed in my office and not someone else’s and that I am obedient to be in the place where God has sent me. Elijah prayed before the fire fell: “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and I am Your servant and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God and that You have turned their hearts back to You again” (I Kings 18:36-38). Elijah acknowledged that God was the Lord, Elijah was His servant, and that Elijah obeyed God to be there on Mount Carmel to represent God before a whole unbelieving nation. This assurance I must have to be in the place where God wants me in obedience and surrender to Him. When I stand in the place of my calling and anointing and representing my God as His servant, there is no rival I should fear! I am free and free indeed!
Liberty with Diligent Prayer!
“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (II Corinthians 3:17).
After walking with God in obedience and submission, still, there is no guarantee that we can walk in liberty at times because of some challenging circumstances. While my failures are many in the ministry, I would like to recount just one challenging moment of the ministry where I failed God utterly. In my first invitation to Trinidad, West Indies, and the very first meeting of about 3,000 people, I failed! I took it for granted that close to 50 % of the population of Trinidad was migrants from my home country, India. Needless to say, 50 % of my audience in the first meeting were Indians. I expected a warm welcome from my old countrymen but instead, I received a very cold response. It was an unforgettable meeting in the sense that all the words I was sharing came back to me without the audience receiving any of them. There were some bright spots and responses to the altar call but, in my heart, I knew I failed.
I was heartbroken and spent that entire night in prayer in the home where my family and I stayed. In the wee hours of the morning after hours of pouring my heart to the Lord, the Holy Spirit revealed three intricate details of the reasons why my old countrymen were hurt and rejected me. I went to sleep after the early morning. I could not wait to get to the auditorium the next evening.
On the second evening, I stood up and offered three statements to the audience:
“I am aware that many of you came here to work as legal immigrants but upon your arrival, your passports were ceased, and you were forced into labor without any recourse to return to where you came from. Your hurts and pain run a century deep. I stand here on behalf of all those who hurt you to ask for your forgiveness!”
“Some of you, my old countrymen, were treated as second-class citizens by those in the West, and you are deeply hurt without proper identification. I am deeply sorry and ask you to forgive them by forgiving me. I will never treat you anything less than how God made you in His image and after His likeness!”
“You have lost confidence in the ministers who come from the West who had exploited you in the past and shattered your confidence in God’s servants. I have not come here taking you for granted. Instead, this is a precious door God opened by His grace and I must share my love with you and share from God’s heart what special things He has in store for You!”
As soon as I finished speaking those three things given to me by the revelation that early morning in prayer, I saw hundreds and multitudes come crying forward to pour their hearts into the altars of that great auditorium. We had great success the next 10 days on that great island.
On the first night, my freedom was inhibited but on the second night, it was restored only after I confessed my inability to the Lord in prayer. James writes: “Confess your trespasses (sins) to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).
Even after doing everything and being where I should be, I run into obstacles that can only be overcome by submission and prayer. Hearts are reached through prayer; obstacles are overcome by prayer; access is granted through prayer; doors are open through prayer; clarity and wisdom come through the surrender to God!
Understanding the Price of Freedom!
The freedom I enjoy is the freedom bought at a price. The freedom I enjoy is the freedom granted to me by the grace of God. Apostle Paul acknowledges that he was who he was only by the grace of God: “I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain” (I Corinthians 15:9-10). Freedom acknowledges who we truly are in Christ Jesus!
My freedom recognizes the ‘cross,’ the ‘source of my freedom,’ and I surrender to the cross as Apostle Paul does: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God” (Galatians 2:20-21).
“I do not set aside the grace of God” – King James Version renders: “I do not frustrate the grace of God!”
Freedom surrendered is the freedom enhanced and enjoyed!
I am no longer a slave to sin; I am a child of God!
God’s Word fills me with truth, and truth sets me free!
My freedom comes from my delight in doing God’s will!
My daily submission at the altars as God’s living sacrifice helps me overcome the flesh that obstructs my freedom!
The anointing of God breaks any bondage in my life, and I must be led by the Spirit constantly by my earnest submission and surrender to God!
God’s Spirit brings liberty, and I must adhere to the Spirit of God to overcome obstacles that impede my freedom!
Prayer
“Heavenly Father, I love You, and I thank You for Your gift of eternal life through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross of Calvary. I am no longer a slave to sin but bought with a price. I adore You for Your eternal plan of redemption not only to me but to all who long to be free. Help me to walk in Your freedom, O Lord, all the days of my life. Help me, Lord, to be an instrument of freedom to bring others to the cross and their freedom. I am Yours, and Yours alone, my Lord. In the Most Precious and Wonderful Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen! Amen!!”
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John Jeyaseelan
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