Arthur W. Pink once said: “True liberty is not the power to live as we please, but to live as we ought.”1 As I pondered this statement my mind immediately turned to (John 8:31-32): “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.’”
In today’s society freedom is so often linked to being able to do whatever we please and whenever we please. But is this real freedom or is this one of Satan’s greatest deceptions. According to (John 8:31-32) true freedom only comes to those individuals that abide in and live according to the Word of God. And that my friends is how we “ought” to live.
For you see living biblically means that not only do we abide in the commands of God, as we ought, but we abide in the truth. And without knowing and living the truth there can be no real freedom in life. Sadly, our world believes in relative truth, which in reality is no truth at all. For example, worldly people believe that sex outside of marriage by two consenting adults is fine since who can it hurt. To those who believe this they have adopted the idea of relative truth – not biblical truth. And what are the results of following relative truth? Well, for people that commit adultery, shattered families, and often tremendous guilt follow those who commit this act of so called freedom to do what you please.
But when we abide in God’s Word we get to experience true freedom knowing that we are pleasing Jesus, knowing that we are doing what is right, and living with great peace and joy – and that is what true liberty is.
Another example involves the idea of forgiveness. Scripture clearly teaches that we are to forgive those who have offended and hurt us. And while this isn’t always easy, it is the pathway to real freedom. The world thinks Christians are foolish to just forgive those who have hurt them, and they instead choose rather to hold grudges and live with bitterness. And while that is their choice, is this really what real freedom is?
I have studied forgiveness a great deal and have found that an unforgiving heart, while a person’s free choice, leads to devastating consequences. First, for both the Christian and non-Christian, holding bitterness instead of practicing forgiveness will affect your physical and emotional health negatively. Second, your prayers often will not be heard. Third, you will have no joy and for the Christian your sweet fellowship with the lost will vanish. And forth, again for both the Christian and non-Chrisian instead of freedom you will live a life of bondage. May I challenge you to look at the following quotes on forgiveness to see what I mean.2
“Forgiveness doesn’t make the other person right, it makes you free.” – Stormie Omartian
“Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realizing you were the prisoner!” – Max Lucado
“Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.” – Corrie Ten Boom
“I firmly believe a great many prayers are not answered because we are not willing to forgive someone.” – Dwight L. Moody
“Forgiveness is God’s command.” – Martin Luther
“Forgiveness is one of the most beautiful words in the human vocabulary. How much pain and unhappy consequences could be avoided if we all learned the meaning of this word.” – Billy Graham
“True forgiveness is a self-healing process which starts with you and gradually extends to everyone else.” – Robert Holden
“Forgiveness is almost a selfish act because of its immense benefits to the one who forgives.” – Lawana Blackwell
“The most miserable prison in the world is the prison we make for ourselves when we refuse to show mercy. Our thoughts become shackled, our emotions are chained, the will is almost paralyzed. But when we show mercy, all of these bonds are broken, and we enter into a joyful liberty that frees us to share God’s love with others.” – Warren W. Wiersbe
So, if you really want to live a life of true liberty and freedom become a bondslave of Jesus. For when your master is Jesus and you live as you “ought” you will truly know the truth and the truth shall make you free!
1 Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
2 All of these quotations on forgiveness listed in this devotion are from the following websites:
76 Quotes About Forgiveness | ChristianQuotes.info
TOP 25 FORGIVENESS QUOTES (of 974) | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)
10 Quotes from Billy Graham on Forgiveness – The Billy Graham Library Blog
100 Forgiveness Quotes That Will Free Yourself (wisdomquotes.com)