What Does the Bible Say about Independence?
Share
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).
The 4th of July! For weeks before we see red, white and blue everywhere. Fireworks for sale in roadside stands or booths. Then the sounds of the day – often starting even two nights before. And it is all for very good reason.
Every July fourth, we celebrate the independence we earned from the British monarchy. We fought not only the revolution, but for many years before. We chose our own way, our own path. Freedom to rule ourselves. Freedom to determine our own rules and regulations. Freedom from tyranny. In order to form a more perfect union.
We fought to gain freedom from the monarchy imposing religious practices and beliefs. We fought to earn what we now call “freedom of religion” – the right for every person to practice or not practice – whatever religion they choose in whatever manner they choose.
And to this day, we unquestionably remain the freest nation on the planet. A designation that has been well earned over the generations, as we fought wars to maintain that freedom. And our continued freedom came at a high cost to a great many who sacrificed everything to defend our independence. To ensure that we remained free. As they say – freedom isn’t free. We need only look at Jesus to know this to be true.
With that in mind, what does the Bible say about independence? About freedom? Well, in terms of governance – not much. Silence, in fact. But in terms of our personal freedom and personal independence, a great deal.
Israel’s Expectations of Freedom
“They answered him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?’” (John 8:34).
Israel’s history is pretty ripe with a significant lack of independence. In fact, other than 80 or so years of self-rule following the Maccabean Revolt against the Syria’s Seleucids, the Jews had been the subjects of enslavement and captivity from various empires. They had not ruled themselves for some three-quarters of a millennium. That’s a lot of domination.
At the time of Jesus’ birth, the Jews were expecting a Messiah who would come to rescue them from their enemies – at that time, the Romans, who had controlled the area for almost 100 years. Even the father of John the Baptizer, at John’s birth, prayed for this:
“He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us…” (Luke 1:69, 71).
“Salvation from our enemies.” And, of course, the Jews of that generation saw Rome as their enemy. After hundreds of years of domination by others, Israel was expecting the Messiah to deliver them from the tyranny of Roman governance and the oppression of being dominated by others. Clearly, the Lord had other ideas.
It was into this environment that Jesus was born. It was a territory occupied by Rome and controlled by Herod, a Jewish monarch appointed by Rome. And many of the Jews remained blinded – questioning Jesus when He taught that the truth would set them free, and completely unaware of the ties that truly bound them. And despite the control wielded by a tyrannical government, it was not Rome that held them captive. It was much more personal.
“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” (John 8:31-32).
Freedom for the Captives
“Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin’” (John 8:34).
Today, when we think about independence or freedom, we associate that with living an independent life. A life of liberty, unencumbered by rules. The ability to live as we choose, whatever those choices might be.
Yes, we live in the most free country in the world, yet that does not save us from the pain and troubles of this life. Yes, we are far better off than so many others, but that financial stature also brings its own burdens that others do not have. We still suffer from the pains of worry, hopelessness, loneliness, resentment, insecurity and even anger.
A friend of mind traveled to Ecuador on a mission trip to a small village. When she returned, all she could feel was how happy those people seemed when they had nothing. No possessions to buy, no bank accounts to worry about, and no expectations of what their lives should be like. They were content.
Our lives are dominated by the cares of this world. We are absolutely held captive by “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). Further, we are all – independence or no – destined to die.
Many of us know of the words of the Bible regarding freedom. Even as early as the book of Isaiah – some 800 years or so before Christ – the author saw us being set free. Then, in a synagogue in His hometown, Jesus quoted that same verse in stating why He had come:
“To proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” (Luke 4:18).
But He didn’t stop there. In John 8:31-33, Jesus tells us if we know Him, we know the truth and that truth will set us free. Then, just a few verse later, “if the Son sets us free and we will be free indeed” (v. 36). Of course, Paul tells us in his letter to the Galatians that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
And yet, despite these teachings – or more accurately because of them - we often find it difficult to truly understand the lessons they teach. Yes, we hear “freedom from…sin” as we struggle through our everyday lives and so often don’t feel free from sin. It still feels like we are under that burden.
Free the captives? When we face challenges, they often feel like chains binding us. We may not feel the freedom we know Jesus taught. And yet, we know that Jesus promised to help us understand that He will be there for us in our struggles and calls on us to be liberated from the tyranny of our sin – and so much more.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1).
The Freedom of Christ
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).
But perhaps Peter – bold, strong-willed and sometimes defiant – taught us best what these teachings actually mean:
“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:4).
Peter tells us that the “very great and precious promises” of Jesus allow us to participate in His divine nature – and to spiritually escape the corruption in the world that is caused by evil desires. James, the brother of Jesus, taught us that when we ask, our battles come from our evil desires that clash within us. We covet but cannot get what we want. Then James made very clear we do not receive because our motives are all wrong and we don’t lean on God (James 4:1-3).
And there is the issue at hand. Jesus promised to not leave us alone, that He would send the Holy Spirit to guide us, to convict us of sin:
“When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8).
How could this happen? In ourselves we aren’t righteous. As the Bible says, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10). But when we accept Christ, the filthy rags of our sin are replaced by the glorious robe of Christ’s righteousness. Our sins were transferred to Him, and His righteousness was transferred to us. And when that happens, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us – just as Christ promised. And by leaning into His Holy Spirit, we will begin to feel the freedom promised by Christ.
When we embrace the lessons of our slavery to sin, then we begin to learn about the power of redemption found in Christ. This is a transformative experience that shakes who we are. Through the Holy Spirit, He provides the very strength we need to walk away from whatever sin might hold us captive – past, present or future.
8 Freedoms We Enjoy in Christ Alone
By leaning into the Holy Spirit, we can begin life anew – with a new sense of freedom. What freedom you may ask?
Freedom from Sin
Romans 6:22
We have freedom from the impact that sin has on our lives. This does not mean freedom from temptation, but when we choose to listen to the Spirit rather than our own nature, we know right from wrong. And now that we “have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit we reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” Living through Him helps us in how we think, how we feel, how we act and how we speak.
Freedom from Our Evil Desires
2 Peter 1:4
Just as Peter promised, we have escaped the corruption of evil desires that we experience in this world. We have freedom from the desires driven by money or possessions.
Freedom from the Fear of Death
2 Corinthians 5:8
As believers, we know that this life is not the end. In fact, this life is nothing compared to what awaits us: eternity with our Lord.
Freedom from the Worries and Cares of This Life
Philippians 4:6-7
Truly rusting God can be a challenge for any of us, even the most devout. But when we do, then we can and will achieve the “peace of God that passes all understanding.”
Freedom from Guilt or Shame
Psalm 103:13
“As far as the east is from the west.” Clearly what cannot be measured. Even so, that is how far our sin is removed from us. The slate has been wiped clean. We get to start all over again. God has promised He will remember them no more (Hebrews 8:12).
Freedom from Man-Created Rites, Rules and Rituals of Religion
Matthew 15:1-9
The traditions of men do nothing to earn us salvation. In fact, Jesus held his most harsh criticism for the religious leaders of the day who laid out their own rules and held them superior over the commandments of God. They “followed” the rules, but they did not know God. Their hearts were not with Him.
Freedom from Fear That if We Mess Up, We Will Lose God’s Love
Romans 8:31-39
When we give ourselves to Christ, then we are cloaked in His righteousness. That is the light in which God sees us – and nothing will ever separate us from that love. “Neither death nor life; neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation” can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. I’d say that about covers everything.
Freedom from the Law of Sin and Death
Romans 8:2
The law was given to us as a custodian until the day of the Messiah. As with our own children, we were given rules to follow and told not to break them. Yet, there was no possible way to achieve eternal salvation by pretending we were able to obey all the rules – even those “written on stone tablets” (2 Corinthians 3:3).
When we consider the lessons of our slavery to sin, we can discover the incredible joy of liberation through a life that is deeply rooted in Christ Jesus. It is then that we are given the gift of freedom from the chains that bound us. It is true freedom for each of us. And this is not a one-time event – it is a lifelong journey.
Our call is to walk – to live our lives – in this freedom daily. We can lean into God and make our choices based on our commitment to our relationship with Him. To make choices in keeping with the word of God. To love Him with all of our hearts, our minds, our souls and our strength – and then to love our neighbors in the same way.
As we then break free of the chains of sin, we will find lives filled with grace and peace. And yes, freedom. That is something to celebrate, even as we celebrate our country’s Independence Day.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Tetra Images
Greg doesn’t pretend to be a pastor, a theologian, or a Bible expert, but offers the perspective of an everyday guy on the same journey as everyone else – in pursuit of truth.
Greg can be reached by email or on Facebook @ Greg Grandchamp - Author.