Set Free. Live Freely

Set free to live freely.  

Exodus: 6: 2-8 

“I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself fully known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”

Exodus 14: 30+31

 ^"That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant."

Slavery to Freedom:

*read about it in Exodus chapters 1-20*

The Israelites have been enslaved to Egypt and the Pharaoh for 400+ years.

God sends Moses to the people and he uses him as a tool to speak to Pharaoh.

After multiple attempts to demand that Pharaoh let the people go, after multiple plagues that destroyed the land and the people, Pharaoh finally obeys.

God holds true to his covenant and the people of Israel are set free.

Though the journey continues...

Freedom to Slavery:

This new found freedom for the Israelite people turns cold.

Though they are free from the slavery forced upon them by the Pharaoh and the Egyptians, they begin to enslave themselves through their freedom.

The Israelite people were SET FREE, but they chose not to live freely.

They become enslaved to their sin.

lust, coveting, lying, stealing, idolatry, and the list goes on...

They did not use their freedom correctly.

They used it selfishly and sinfully.

"Set Free to Live Free"

What does that mean? Freedom is not the ability to do what you want. Freedom is the ability to do what you were made to do by God. When God set the Israelite people free, His chosen people, he did not intend for their freedom to open the door for them to indulge in their selfish and sinful desires. No, he set them free so that HE could further HIS kingdom by using these people in HIS plan and for HIS purpose.

How does that look for us? Rather than being set free of a literal slavery like the Israelites were when God sent moses to the people, God sent his one and only son {that being, Jesus Christ} to die on a cross, bearing our shame and iniquity {our sin} so that we can be free. Free to live. Free even in death. 

Yet so many choose to live in slavery. Enslaved to this world, to this oh so temporary life. Maybe you've heard the name of Jesus, maybe you know what the gospel message is about, but you choose to ignore it. You choose to say, 'it can't be true'. Enchained to naivety and ignorance. Maybe you claim to follow Jesus, to have a heart for his ministry. You praise God for his death on the cross, for his sacrifice that paid the weight of your sin and my sin. Yet your life does not portray that freedom. Your actions, thoughts, words, lifestyle - none of it is free.

Exodus 20: 1+2 says, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the Land of slavery.." 

The problem then was slavery. The solution was God.

That rings true yesterday, today and until Christ returns again.

The problem will always be slavery and the solution will always be God.

2 Peter 2:19 says, "For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved..."

What do we poor our time and energy into? What do we think about most often? What do we hold closest to our hearts? What bring us the most happiness? What overcomes us?

Money? Jobs? Status? Wealth? Materials? Beauty? Health? Reputation? Popularity? Skills? Sports? Media? Husband/Wife? Children? we all have our idols... 

"You shall have no other Gods before me..."

the First Commandment...

You can't live freely until you KNOW and hold true to the fact that there is ONLY ONE GOD. The God of the Bible. And we must continually get to know Him. Back then the Israelites {after being set free from the Egyptians} fell into a new form of slavery, as I already mentioned, and though they worshiped physical idols {as many still do in this world} that promised them good things... this form of idolatry is no different from our idolatry today... its had merely been 're-branded'.

Is there a disconnect between your god and your functional god?

Do you claim to believe in the one true God yet you worship a completely different functional god? There can't be a disconnect. If you believe in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, then you must claim that freedom in your life and live it out daily. 

use your God-given Freedom to do what God has purposed you for. 

Use your freedom to worship HIM.

use your freedom to become more like Him.

Jesus did not die to set us free so that we can indulge in the ways of this world, 

rather he died to set us free so that God could further HIS kingdom by using US in HIS plan, for HIS purpose.

Are you Free...