FREEDOM

Finally, my friends let us consider the first words of the Father in this visitation. He asked me, “Do you know what it is to be free? Do you see freedom from my perspective? Do you understand liberty?” These questions force us to consider our own disposition relative to salvation. When I stopped to consider these things, I saw the simple truths concerning this matter. Now if the truth is what Jesus came to declare, let us look into how we are to relate to that truth, now that we are believers and born of the Spirit.

John 8:32

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

We have talked about the truth as it relates to the existence of God, the Father, and the Kingdom of God. But now, we will discuss the truth regarding the life given to us. I don’t know how to relay these truths, except to take each scripture and allow them to tell the story. But before I do, let me just tell you more of the visitation. In it I saw Jesus as He walked the earth, preaching and teaching the Word of God. I saw His heart; it was full of love for the Father and those He came to redeem. I saw His mental disposition; He was never distracted.

Isaiah 50:5-7

5 The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.

6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

7 For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

In the worst of moments, Jesus did not waver from His purpose. It was in suffering that He learned true obedience to the Father’s will. But in order to do so, He had to trust the word of His Father. He had to believe that God would justify Him and redeem His soul from hell. He also had to believe that His suffering would be our deliverance. Jesus was of another world. He lived according to the laws of the Kingdom of God. He at no time walked in the spirit of variance, wherein He would seek to change such laws. He honored the government of the heavenly Kingdom and walked here on earth as its ambassador; forever delivering to us the truths of the Kingdom.

Whenever Jesus encountered that which would seek to cause Him to deviate from the mandates given Him, He responded with the mind of that Kingdom. When Peter was trying to be sympathetic not wanting Him to go into Jerusalem; He responded, “Get thee behind me Satan, you always savor the things pertaining to man and not the things pertaining to God.” In other words, this is your world and you only speak concerning this world. But I am not of this world, and neither do my instructions come from this world. Another thing to take note of here is that although the politics of the times were not very favorable for the Jews, Jesus did not involve or entangle Himself in such things. His response in general was, “Give unto Caesar those things that are Caesar’s and unto God those things that are His.” He trusted God as His provider and protector, regardless of the powers that be. But even more importantly, there was never a moment wherein He considered sin, or a moment in which sin was a temptation. He told us why in His conversation with Nicodemus. And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven (John 3:13).

Saints you cannot overlook this truth. The Lord was with the Father at all times because He walked in obedience to the Spirit wherein He lived. There was never any controversy as to what He was to say or do. He was completely led by the Spirit. Believe it or not this is liberating. It removes the stress of trying to survive spiritually here on earth. All the decisions are the Father’s. The work is His and the whole plan is His. The path we are to take is His route. And things we are to encounter are things He allows. Remember, Jesus said, though I am persecuted, I will not be ashamed. The Father is near and He will justify me. Jesus trusted God to give us the same glory He walked in. Listen to His prayer for us.

John 17:20-26

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Here it is evident we have received the same Spirit as that of our Lord. We have also received the ministry of reconciliation He began. Now we are to operate in the same hostile environment He worked in; the world. Nevertheless we are not of this world, even as He was not of this world.

Why is it so hard for us to work the works of God? Why are we preoccupied with fighting sin in our own lives? Let me give you some absolutes I heard from the Master:

• If you are struggling with temptation then you are not walking in the Spirit.
• If you entertain a thought war regarding that which is forbidden; you are not walking in the Spirit.

One might say Jesus never had a memory of sin during His ministry here; therefore it was easy for Him to abstain from sin. Well, beloved, neither did Adam. He never knew sin. But he sinned anyway. The answer is simple; it was choice. Therefore, it is not the memory of the past sins of the old man (who is crucified with Christ) that causes us to sin, but the conscious decision we make to disobey. So what is the solution to the problem? How can we be free from sin in a world of so much temptation? As always the Father is eager to give the answer that will set us on a righteous path if we can receive it.

Matthew 6:22-23

22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

Now this is the truth from our perspective. We are creatures who live in the Spirit, citizens in the Kingdom of God and seated with our Christ in heavenly places. Nevertheless, some of us are fascinated with this world. We have set our affections on the things of the world, thus forsaking things pertaining to the Kingdom. We are entertained by the darkness of this world. We love it. We look forward to watching things that offend the Holy Ghost. We are steadfast in our pursuit of the pleasures of this life. False doctrines have perpetuated that pursuit. We too are driven by greed and lust. Television is the devil’s greatest ally.

Matthew 6:24-25

24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Can you receive this? Are you able to receive the truth as to why we fail? We are spiritual beings who totally disregard the laws of the Kingdom we live in, but we try to bring the power of that Kingdom (of Heaven) into the earth without the authority of of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is the same as a policeman leaving America and going to Canada to arrest someone without the authority of those governments. He is out of his jurisdiction. He has no authority there. The same is true of the Sons. We are trying to do spiritual things that call for the authority of a Kingdom whose laws we have forsaken. Therefore we struggle in our walk and in our ministries. We find it difficult to love because we have departed from the Lover. We cannot forgive because the walk in the flesh demands retribution. We struggle with sin because our thoughts are not on those things that are lovely, pure and of a good report. We are fixated on this world and what it has to offer. We want our share. We want, we want and we want. But let us believe the report. There is no struggle with these things in the Spirit of God.

Hebrews 3:18-19

18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

There is indeed a rest for the people of God here on this earth. It is the righteousness, joy, and peace that can only be found in the Holy Ghost. But you will never know that peace and freedom, if you do not believe the report. There is rest, freedom and liberty in the Spirit. Beloved, please believe this with all your heart and you will enter a world of freedom and liberty and will literally blow your fleshy mind. This I promise. The final words on this matter . . .

Hebrews 4:1-3

1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

We can trust our God, His word is true.