If You're Free and You Know It . . .

by Laurie Ness

Everybody wants freedom, right?  Who doesn't want to be free?  No one wants to be a slave to fear or sin or past mistakes.  Right?

Maybe we would be surprised to realize how often we as believers choose that very thing:  Slavery.  Christ-followers are indeed free, because "...if the Son has set you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36), but do we always live as though we are free?  Sadly, the answer for probably everyone at one time or another is, "No."  Some maybe never choose to walk in the freedom that is theirs.

I've been thinking so much about "Satan's slavery vs Christ's freedom" in preparation for writing this devotional, and my mind keeps going back to something that has already been written.  I heard these words read at my sister's church years ago, and they often come back to mind.  I remember the tears rolling down my cheeks as I recognized the ways these words applied to me.  I simply can't say it any better, and I think the Lord may wish to speak through someone else in this column this month!  Enjoy . . .

Dr. Neil T. Anderson* writes:

Slavery in the United States was abolished by the 13th Amendment on December 18th 1865.
How many slaves were there on December 19th 1865? Well, in reality, there should have been none.  But many still lived like slaves, because they never learned the truth. Others knew and even believed that they were free but chose to live as they always had.

Several plantation owners were devastated by the Emancipation Proclamation. "We're ruined!"
they said. "Slavery has been abolished. We've lost the battle to keep our slaves." But their chief
spokesman slyly responded, "Not necessarily, as long as these people think they're still slaves, the Emancipation Proclamation will have no practical effect. We don't have a legal right over them anymore, but many of them don't know it. Keep your slaves from learning the truth, and your control over them will not even be challenged."

Once a cotton farmer asked, "But what if the news spreads?"

"Don't panic," was the reply. "We have another barrel in our gun. We may not be able to keep them from hearing the news, but we can still keep them from understanding it. They don't call me the 'father of lies' for nothing. We still have the potential to deceive the whole world. Just tell  them that they are going to be free, not that they are free already. The truth they heard is just positional truth, not actual truth. Someday they may receive the benefits, but not now."

"But they'll expect me to say that. They won't believe me," came the response.

"Then pick out a few persuasive ones who are convinced that they're still slaves and let them do the talking for you. Remember, most of these free people were born as slaves and have been slaves their whole lives. All we have to do is deceive them so that they still think they're slaves. As long as they continue to do what slaves do, it will not be hard to convince them that they must still be slaves.  They will maintain their slave identity because of the things they do. The moment they try to profess that they are no longer slaves, just whisper in their ears, 'How can you even think you are no longer a slave when you are still doing things that slaves do?'"

Years later, many had still not heard the wonderful news that they had been freed, so naturally
they continued to live the way they had always lived. Some heard the good news but told themselves, "I'm still living like a slave, doing the same things I have always done. My experience tells me that I must not be free. Everything is the same as before the Proclamation, so it must not be true. I must still be a slave." So they continued as if they had not received freedom!

Then one day, a former slave heard the good news and received it with great joy. He checked out the validity of the Proclamation and discovered that the highest of all authorities had originated the decree. Not only that, but it personally cost the authority a tremendous price so that slaves could be free. The slave's life was transformed. He reasoned that it would be hypocritical to continue living as a slave, even though his feelings told him he still was. Determined to live by what he knew to be true, his experiences began to change dramatically because he realized that his old master had no authority over him anymore, and he did not need to be obeyed. He was free, and he gladly served the one who set him free.

 Anderson, Neil, T. Victory Over Darkness, Ventura, CA, Regal Books, © 1990 and 2000, p. 86, 87

*Note:  As with any writer or speaker, we need to be comparing what we hear or read with what is in Scripture to make sure we are not blindly believing anything contrary to God's Word.  While I found this particular passage of an earthly author to be moving, I don't know enough about him to recommend (or not) his books in general.