There is a word we hear constantly in these turbulent times, and that word is, freedom. It seems that everyone is in pursuit of it. Yet, I am certain that even those who most often speak of it, and promise it to the masses, do not realize even an infinitesimal part of what it really means. One is not in a position to understand true liberty, or freedom, until his sins have been washed away by the precious blood of Christ. Real freedom is a blessing which God has reserved for those who surrender their lives to His Son, Jesus. Knowing this, Jesus told those who would listen, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."

As with so many biblical truths, we do not need to define freedom in dictionary fashion, for it can be understood only through the forgiveness of sins. Expecting complex answers to questions concerning freedom, men have overlooked the "simplicity which is in Christ." Too many of us think the horrific problems which exist on earth, such as wars, poverty, rebellion, disasters, and pernicious diseases, demand complex answers. But those who, in simple faith, believe God's word find the freedom which all mankind seems to want.

My friend, the price for your freedom has already been paid. The way has already been made by God for you to live in perfect liberty, and that, forever. It remains only for us to acknowledge the truth, and to humble ourselves to receive the "unspeakable gift" of God. So many people, whole nations in fact, are pursuing freedom, though freedom has been available to all since Jesus paid the price for it with his blood at Calvary. It is tragic that men persist in searching for that which is so available. It is like searching for sand in the Sahara, or looking for snow in a blizzard.

But for what kind of liberty do men seek? It seems that most men seek a peace which can never come. That is, they are striving for a man-made peace on an earth which is populated by evil men. They seem to be longing for a political system which will bring relief from oppression in a world of oppressors, and a liberty from fear in a world fraught with danger. Rejecting the simple and certain promises of God, they continue their vain efforts to establish peace on earth without Christ, only to die in sin and leave their work to others. There will be no peace on earth until people find it - in their hearts - with God. And to do this, men must change their focus from self to Christ. The Lord made this plea through the prophet Isaiah, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth" (Isa.45:22).

Liberty being so freely offered, but so constantly refused by men, one must conclude that, despite their claims, men are not seeking true liberty at all. Yet, they labor on, as did their predecessors, seeking a non-existent freedom, one that never has and never will materialize. No, it isn't freedom many are seeking. It is merely a lame and temporary distraction from stress and from social or financial worries.

The minds of Israel's leaders in Jesus' time were so blinded by their hopes for political freedom that they could look into the face of the Savior and say, "We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage." To which Jesus responded, "He that committeth sin is the servant of sin." Jesus alone offers real freedom, but it is not the kind of freedom that man trusts, for it demands that he relinquish his own will to the will of God. Hell is even now crowded with ancient and modern Pharisees who refused God's freedom from our sins through faith in the blood of Christ. Yes, reader, to know him is freedom. Our beloved brother Paul wrote, "Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

The most common cause of one's rejection of Christ, and so, of freedom, is ignorance. Peter acknowledged that it was ignorance which led the Jews to crucify their Lord (Acts 3:17). Even now, many erudite men scorn those who receive the liberating baptism of the Holy Ghost as childish and ignorant, unaware of their own desperate need of the knowledge of God. Ignorance is the insignia on the hearts of all who pay "lip service" to freedom, but refuse the Spirit of Christ - the only source of lasting peace. Consider the millions who look to political leaders, philosophers, and physicians for liberty. Oh, how people desire freedom from fear of death and suffering, without knowing how to obtain it!

Our Lord, in speaking of the means of attaining real freedom, said, "If you continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (Jn.8:31-32). Nothing can take away the liberty that comes through the truth of God's word. Man can only destroy the kind of liberty he has the power to give. He cannot touch that which God alone bestows. Just before his crucifixion, Jesus made this wonderful promise to his friends, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (Jn.14:27).

Who was really free? Noah, shut up by God in the dark, storm-tossed ark, or those on the outside? Daniel in the den of lions, or King Darius, pacing his palace floor? Joseph, sold into slavery, or his brothers, counting the money?

Who was really free, the prisoner or the governor, when the Apostle Paul stood before Felix to answer the charges brought against him? We read that, as Paul "reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled" (Acts 24:25). So, Paul, the prisoner, whom men thought was bound, proved to be free, while Felix, the governor, who was thought to be free, proved to be in the bonds of sin. The outward circumstances were irrelevant. True freedom is a spiritual condition, not a physical one. Many a prisoner today has come to possess a liberty in Christ, for which the authorities who sentenced him yearn. Who was really free, Jesus, the crucified, or the Roman soldiers who stood at the foot of his cross?

Nothing on earth can take away the freedom which comes from heaven. It is eternal. When Paul, in chains like a common criminal, reached Rome, he freely testified to all of the grace of God. Chains and prisons are no match for one whom the Son has made free. Even many of Caesar's own household were made believers in Christ through Paul's preaching. They came to know the truth of Paul's words, "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." Even now, Paul's words continue to encourage the hearts of the saints, as they did the saints in ancient Galatia, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Freedom is fellowship with God. It is not dependant upon externals. It is not affected by circumstances. It has its being in the sphere of the minds and hearts of men. And its living demonstration is in the life of the man of whom it is said, "His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord." This means freedom in God, at all times and everywhere. How impoverished is the life without it! "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee".