Christian Freedom
Dr. Valson Abraham
Even when we do not think of God, we all depend constantly upon His presence in our lives. The more we see and experience His glory and grace in our daily lives, the greater our freedom.
When Isaiah met God in the temple, he heard the angels cry out,
“Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3)!
The whole earth is full of His glory! Yet tragically, most of the time, we fail to see it.
Go down the streets of any city, town or village and we may see only drab concrete and faded, peeling paint on neglected buildings. Observe the people walking about. How many of them walk about with stooped shoulders, dead eyes, and grim expressions on their faces.
Yet unnoticed, right before their eyes, may lie a glorious sunrise, a lovely child, a butterfly splashed with color and design beyond human imagination. Overhead, graceful flocks of birds may head for unknown destinations, guided by instincts still little understood.
Every day, on every side, we are surrounded by thousands of signs of a glorious God—if we can recognize them. But how many times we miss these things because we are too absorbed with worry, doubt and frantic schedules! All too often, WE may be those grim-faced people on the streets!
In Romans, Paul says, “Since creation, His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen…” In other words, HIS GLORY. But…
“Even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks.”
More often than we like to think, this appalling verdict claims all of us. We all become blind prisoners of myopic vision, futile thoughts and self-defeating actions. We all fail to see the glory of God around us. Often, talk of God’s glory feels empty because it appears to contradict our daily experience of mediocrity, sorrow and failure. Too often, in guilt and shame, we slink away into dark holes and prisons, compounding our own un-glory.
And also compounding our loss of freedom. But by God’s grace, this is not the full scope of things. The Gospel of John tells us, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw HIS GLORY, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (1:14).
That glory of God on earth came to live among us when a young teenage girl gave birth to the Son of God in a manger. It ended with his death on a cross. In Romans, Paul tells us that on the cross, we, too, were crucified with Him. Three days later, He rose again, and we were also raised with Him, so that our old life of mediocrity, sorrow and failure might become absorbed and transformed by His resurrection GLORY. He lives for all eternity, now and forever. So do we who trust in Him.
In short, through His birth in a manger, death on a cross and resurrection from a tomb, He has already given us the gift of His glory to experience now-and a new gift of freedom.
The battle is already over, and the victory is already won. The prison doors have flown open. The shades are up, and the glorious light of God is already shining upon us. Already, God tells us, “Get up! You are free! Walk out from your cell into all that I planned for you before I created the universe! You are already children in my heavenly kingdom!”
All around us, it is possible to experience signs of His presence in the sights, sounds, smells around us. The image of God is written in the faces of each person we see. We see the lessons of God in the ants and the bees. We see the power of God in the stars.
Already it is possible for us to experience what Jack Hayford calls a “Mary Miracle.” Whether or not we experience it depends only upon if we have eyes to see the glory of God, to “expect great things of God and to attempt great things for God.”
God is ready and waiting. What about us?
There is no more reason to stay in our prisons. Only if we believe the lies of the enemy will we stay where we are. Let us be done with lesser things.
The rest of the world still sees only prison cells around them. They still walk about with grim expressions on their faces, awaiting their freedom. Let us help them to see the glory and freedom of God we are just discovering!
Father God, forgive me for the many times I am blind to your glory all around me. Open my eyes to see and ears to hear your glorious presence in this world and in my life that I might experience your freedom. Give me a mind and heart for others who do not yet know you, that they will also experience your glory and freedom in Jesus Christ. Amen.
