“I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.” – Psalm 119:45

Hold on! Does it seem to you like the author has been sold a bill of goods here? How can anyone wrap up the words, “freedom” and “commandments” in the same sentence?  Isn’t it common knowledge that following the words of the Bible is enslaving, and freedom comes when we reject it’s commands to follow after our own ways and “what seems right in our own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 21:25)?

Haven’t we all been told our whole lives that keeping the Law of LORD is hard, tiresome and no fun at all? Someone forgot to give this author the memo! BUT, before we dismiss his words completely, perhaps we should see what others had to say on the subject of freedom!

Jesus told those who believed in Him in John 8:31-32, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus went on to say, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”(8:36-38 emphasis mine). But of course, one could argue that this was Jesus speaking, the ultimate Author of God’s Word (2Tim 3:16) and therefore, of course He’d wanted us all to think this way.

James also said, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty (freedom) and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”- Jam 1:22-25 (emphasis mine once more)

And now Paul has something to say about this in his letter to the Galatians, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
 
Hmm…What if true bondage is being driven by our passions, which enslaves because of our sins? What if learning, understanding and following God’s Word is in fact, the light and easy yoke Jesus spoke of here?

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Mat 11:28-30

Perhaps, we’ve been the ones sold a bill of goods. Because we have been freed from the penalty of death which comes to all law breakers, we can now link up to the light and easy yoke of Jesus, and learn at His feet, which is exactly the hope of this author of Psalm 119!

Paul knew it,

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Rom 8:1-4

This is a good place to insert a, Hallelujah!
 
I pray you will walk in complete freedom today, faithfully following after Him and His Word, and giving thanks always for all He has done to set you free!

Blessings,

sue