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31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

Earlier this month, in two of the countries where I have lived, Independence Day was celebrated. For the U.S.A., it is July 4th. In Venezuela, it is July 5th. What is supposedly celebrated on these holidays is the freedom obtained from the oppression by a country that had dominated them.

Yet today, in both of those countries, there are many people who feel more oppressed than free. In Venezuela, they are lamenting the oppression by the government, the economic situation, the lack of basic foods and medicines, etc. In contrast, for those who live in the United States, oppression is felt from other sources, stresses, and worries—many self-induced.

Everyone seeks freedom. And in that search, we may fear ending up more dependent than independent. But it all depends on how you define the terms freedom, dependence, and independence; they can be good or bad.

Do you define freedom in political or economic terms?
Or do you define freedom as something more internal (mental, emotional or spiritual) that no one can take away from you?

Do you describe dependence as something negative because you don’t want to be seen as week, needing to depend on others?
Or do you recognize our dependence on Jesus as the author and perfecter of our faith, our Savior and Lord whose blood we must have in order to be in relationship with God?

And if independence is defined as freedom from oppression, what greater oppression is there than that which is found under sin’s grasp?

Jesus says that we will know the truth and that the truth will set us free (John 8:32). He later reveals that He is that truth (John 14:6).

Today, I invite you to celebrate the dependence we have on Christ and the true freedom we find in Him. When I put it in perspective, I rejoice as a slave of God, dependent on Christ, living by the Spirit. That is the truth and true freedom the world is seeking, that can only be found in Him.

Are you truly free? Do you know the Truth that leads to true freedom?

#IronRoseSister #freedom #truth #MichelleJGoff #blog

• truth
• freedom

Imagine the teenager who anticipates getting all dressed up for prom or a church banquet. She has dreamt of this day and has imagined how beautiful she will look. On the morning of the event, she spends a few hours on the farm with her family, digging in the dirt and planting the seeds for their garden. The recent rains make the ground soft and malleable, perfect for planting and also for throwing a clump or two of mud at her brother.

As the time approaches to meet for dinner, she heads to the house to clean up. The warm water from the shower washes the grime from her hair and loosens the mud her brother caked in her ear just before she ran inside. She scrubs the dirt from under her fingernails and uses the special soap with her favorite scent, saved for special occasions.

She has spent weeks finding the perfect dress, hours doing her hair and makeup. And after getting completely ready to go, she slips on the heels she knows she will be more than ready to kick off at the end of the night and walks out the door.

Yet instead of walking down the paved driveway to the car for a ride to the event, she returns to the field where the family had already finished planting for the day. She walks straight through a mud puddle where her heels sink into the soft ground, leaving them to fill with muddy water. She bends over to retrieve her shoes and slips, landing in a heap. In the process, clumps of dirt stain her carefully selected dress and she wipes her face with the mud, losing an earring and smearing her makeup.

What are your reactions to this young ladies’ actions and choices? Are you wondering why she went through all that effort to get cleaned up only to walk through the mud and dirty herself again? What was she thinking? I’m sure none of us would ever do that... Or would we?

She was free of the filth. Yet she turned right back to it, even after being clean. The spiritual application of this physical illustration is a vivid reminder of the ridiculousness of our actions and choices.

19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”
2 Peter 2:19-22

Entangled, enslaved, overcome, corrupted, defiled...

Unencumbered, freed, liberated, pure, undefiled...

When stated so clearly, the choice is obvious. Yet, the lies we fall back into become the hindrance of freedom through truth and righteousness.

Are you recognizing the lies, replacing them with truth, and remembering the truth?

Choose truth today and remember the truth. Replace the lies with it. And if you don´t know what entangles you, ask God to reveal the lies so that you can recognize them for what they are—the filth that overcomes you.

Thank you, Redeemer, for offering us the opportunity to not only get clean, but to remain clean—freed by Truth.

#IronRoseSister #freedom #truth #MichelleJGoff