About Freedom
- Tony Martino
- Jul 3, 2018
- 3 min read
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10
When I woke up this morning I began thinking about a talk I had with an individual just the other day. About freedom.
Tomorrow we celebrate the Fourth of July and are reminded of our freedom and liberty. John 10:10 talks about how the enemy comes only to steal, kill and destroy but God came to give us fullness of life and life more abundantly. As I was pondering that this morning, I remembered what God was saying to me the other day. Our freedom and liberty was paid for on the cross and that fullness of life and abundant life from John 10:10 is something we must guard and practice daily.
In our society we contend with a fast pace culture quick to judgments and critical opinions. All you have to do is take a peek on social media and you will see a plethora of people's opinions tearing other people to shreds. And yes, I’m talking about even spirit-filled Christians who, because of this freedom and the "right" to have an opinion, feel the need to share every opinion and correct and malign others. Let me say very loud and very clear that is not the love of my Jesus that I I serve. You can justify it any way you want, you can pretty it up and put a bow on it, but that is not the love of my Jesus. Because of this fast pace, me-me-me environment, we have to be on-guard to guard our freedom, liberty and abundant life.
So, as I was saying, I was thinking about this freedom and this liberty that we have access to. I have family members and friends who have fought for this country and experienced life altering injuries fighting for this country so we can walk out our front door and pray walking down the sidewalk or have a Bible study in a public park and not be arrested for it. Or meet in house churches and not have to look out for police showing up to take us all to jail. That is a great part of the freedom we enjoy because others have laid their lives down or been injured fighting for this country. However, we also have to fight to seize and walk in this freedom and liberty that Father said is ours.
I wanted to take some time on this July 3rd, Independence Eve, to remember that Jesus did lay his life down so we could have this abundant life and that we are promised in John 10:10 that we can have this fullness of abundant life Jesus came to give us. Please don’t get so caught up in society and in other voices - media, music, internet, people's opinions - that we forget how to walk in this freedom. John 10:10 is true, that is a fact. But I want you to remember, the enemy doesn’t want you to walk in that fullness of life. That, my friends, is where you are going to have to do it on purpose, guard your peace on purpose, guard your liberty on purpose, guard your freedom on purpose and walk in that abundant life that John 10:10 talks about on purpose. Really. Go ahead and practice being free in the fullness of life we have been given. PRACTICE IT.
I’m grateful to live in this country and I’m grateful this July 3rd, the eve of America's liberation. Nevertheless, don’t forget that, as Christians, we’ve also been liberated - but are we walking in the fullness of our liberty? Are we walking in the fullness of our blood bought freedom? I know, for me, it’s a daily practice to walk in the fullness and abundant life that He’s given me.
Be blessed my friends, be victorious and most of all walk in your abundance of life ON PURPOSE. God bless you all.
