Joyous Freedom

What is joyous freedom?

Last week, we talked about joyful obedience which is a phrase that comes from the United Methodist liturgy.

It goes like this;

“Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be  an obedient church. We have not done your will., we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Then the pastor proclaims;

“Hear the good news:  Christ died for us while we were yet sinners; that proves God’s love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!”

And all say, “In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven! Glory to God. Amen.” 

Repentance leads to this joyful obedience we have been talking about, which leads to joyous freedom in Christ Jesus.

Today as I was reading my Bible, I landed on James 1:22-25;

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”

“The perfect law that gives freedom.”

My study note from verse 25 reads, “The moral and ethical teaching of Christianity, which is based on the Old Testament moral law as embodied in the Ten Commandments, but brought to completion (perfection) by Jesus Christ. Freedom, in contrast to the sinner, which is a slave to sin, obeying the moral law gives Christians the joyous freedom to be what they were created to be.”

The Amplified version of verse 25 reads,

“But he who looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a [careless] listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he will be blessed and favored by God in what he does [in his life of obedience].”

Did you know if you live a life of obedience to God, being an active doer of the Word, you will be blessed and favored by God?

Joyful obedience leads to joyous freedom.

In Matthew 5:17 AMP, Jesus Himself tells us, “Do not think that I came to do away with or undo the Law [of Moses] or the [writings of the] Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”

Hear it from The Message; 

“Don’t suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures—either God’s Law or the Prophets. I’m not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God’s Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God’s Law will be alive and working.”

My study note for Matthew 5:17 says, “Jesus fulfilled the Law in the sense that he gave it its full meaning. He emphasized its deep, underlying principles and total commitment to it rather than mere external acknowledgement and obedience.”

God is looking for total commitment through internal obedience. 

Many of us are looking for freedom. Not worldly freedom through money and status but spiritual freedom. Internal freedom. This freedom can only be found through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Jesus came and fulfilled the scriptures, completing them. It is only by applying the Word of God to our lives, coupled with our faith in Jesus that we find our joyous freedom.

Today, I want to challenge you to dedicate your life to Christ. Or re-dedicate it. Apply the Word of God to your life, totally committing to it. The wonderful thing is it leads to a blessed and favored life. We don’t do it for the blessings, we do it out of joyful obedience to God. And with that comes the freedom we all seek.

Let us pray,

Father God, forgive us for not loving You with our whole hearts and not loving our neighbors. Free us for joyful obedience. Help us understand Jesus came to fulfill your Word, completing it. Thank you that when we accept Jesus and your Word, we find joyous freedom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

P.S. Leave me a comment because I love hearing from you. Forward this message to a friend and post on Facebook. Until next time, receive that joyous freedom. -M