Free, But Not Really


This is Charlie... not a great picture of Charlie, but I think the message will still resonate. For years we kept Charlie and Hershey in crates while we went to work or were otherwise away from the house. This wasn't because Charlie was mischievous, but Hershey was known to get into trouble if you weren't paying close attention to her.

Hershey got cancer this past December and we had to make the unfortunate but appropriately difficult decision to put her to sleep because of her pain. She and Charlie were 12 years old and had been together for 11.5 years. Knowing that Charlie was not one to be destructive, we immediately started leaving his crate door open 24 hours a day. However, Charlie was used to being in his crate. It was a place of comfort, safety and rest. He now has free roam of the house yet Charlie still chooses to spend most of his waking and sleeping hours in his crate. He chooses to remain caged when he is in fact completely free.

Where am I going with this? I believe this is a picture of many of us who call ourselves Christians. Jesus has set us free from the bondage of our old situation (old nature), yet we find comfort living in the familiar, miry, stinky, filthy pit from which Christ rescued us. Jesus saved us and freed us to live in the power of the Holy Spirit, yet we close that door and hide behind bars of fear with little faith.

We are no longer enslaved in a dungeon of sin but have been adopted into the family of God and been made full heirs to His kingdom. We are no longer prisoners of self and Satan. We are children of the King!

Jesus words to us about this can be found in John 8:31-36

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 

They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 

Jesus replied, “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.

The sad thing is that Charlie can see clearly what he is missing by not coming out of his crate... soft comfy carpet, plush doggy bedding, and time with his family (us). He is trading an intimate relationship with his Master upstairs for his familiar, solitary enclosure downstairs.

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed regardless of where you are, but wouldn't you rather be spending quality time with the Master upstairs?

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