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Many American speak of “freedom.” After all – isn’t that what our wonderful country was founded on? 

I believe so! Interestingly, this morning I found a passage of Scripture that altered my view of freedom:

 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. – 2 Corinthians 3:17

As one reads this passage, it is not meant to say that freedom exists everywhere (even though God can be everywhere). This passage’s context is talking about the soul, the inner-workings of our human bodies. Paul is telling us that WE can be free - we don’t have to be bonded in sin anymore. The next verse reads:

 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

With the FREEDOM comes a transformation – one of our body and mind that helps us change from our sinful nature into the nature of Christ-likeness!

Now THAT’S FREEDOM!

I remember so many times in my life when I thought I knew what I was doing. In fact, I’m sure that tomorrow I’ll realize the mistakes I made today.

 Job 32:6-7  

 

I am young, and you are very old; therefore I was afraid, and dared not show you my opinion. I said, days should speak, and the multitude of years should teach wisdom.

This passage from Job reminds us that those with more experience than us are normally more mature and know better than we do. The exception to this is when the Spirit of God is with us.

Many times Pastors and Youth Pastors are challenged for their decisions to move churches or announce “divine guidance” that they receive from the Lord. Many times these decisions just don’t make sense to others.

I recall just over two years ago a decision I made that others opposed (sending out my ministry resume to only 1 church – Big Sandy Baptist). I believe it was the right decision, and now we are at home at Big Sandy, over two years and counting.

However, many people make decisions without consulting others and without consulting God. This is usually done under selfish motives; they do things to make themself happy, regardless of how it affects others. In the end, these decisions are invariably wrong and they must face the consequences. 

We must all remember, however, that despite each of our own mistakes, we are still human. We must love each other as people (Commandment #2). We may not like the decisions that each of us make, but each person is still a child of God. God forgave us while we were yet sinners. He will forgive you for your mistakes and forgive me of mine.

He loves each and every one of us despite our failures. And…He is waiting for you to come home and come back to His direction and seek His Will in your life.

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. ²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

 ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

As Joseph considers and accepts the idea that Mary will give birth to the Savior of the World, he becomes obedient to God.

There is another aspect that I want to ponder also. It is the name that the angel gives Jesus: Immanuel. As most of us know, there are many many names that we have given to Jesus. It is a simple way to better describe them. In fact, if you consider all the details, you will realize that YOU too have many names. For example, my name is James, but also brother, son, child, “daddy,” and in the past I have been called Jaime (French class), Gaston (Spanish Class), Woofer (Band nickname), Jimmy (nickname), Wolfman (highschool nickname), and currently Youth Pastor, and during the past 3 weeks during some out-of-town training “Reverend.” Of course none of these FULLY explain who I am, but they all shed light on different characteristics of who I am.

It is the same way with Jesus. Because of His GREAT and MIGHTY standing as God, there are not enough names to fully describe Him. In this passage, the angel chooses to name Jesus Immanuel – “God With Us.” I think that’s an excellent name, and a name that comforts those who truly know Him. God is WITH us – yesterday, today, and tomorrow! Always!  Isn’t that great?

After Mary praised God for her new baby and traveled to visit Elizabeth and returned:

⁵⁷ …it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. … his mother spoke up and said, “…He is to be called John.”

 ⁶¹ They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”  ⁶² Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³ He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” ⁶⁴

Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. ⁶⁵ All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. ⁶⁶ Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

This passage continues to show the obedience of simple men and women in following God’s guidance. They were obedient and became blessed because of their decisions to follow God.

John, the baby boy, grew up to be known as John the Baptist, and spread the Gospel of Christ around the nations. He came to let everyone know that Jesus was coming to earth to begin His kingdom. He had a mission – to tell others about Christ. But Christ has come and gone. John performed his mission.

BUT…Christ will come again. It is now OUR jobs to tell others about His return. Christ was not only born, He died…He rose again…, and He will return to take us home with Him. But in the meantime, we must be obedient and tell others. And when we are obedient, we can expect blessings to come our way.