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I have always been a man who held dearly to the concepts of personal freedom and sovereignty of man versus institutions or governments. For most of my life I have read and written on this subject in various formats, and I have seemingly enjoyed life as “self-directed” as possible at times. Suddenly, with the call of God on my life last year…all of those “principles” I stood for are challenged by the Gospel of Christ.

I grew up attracted to history books and I have always identified with the advantages I had growing up in a constitutional democracy such as the United States of America. Some of my grandparents and great-grandparents emigrated to the USA attracted to the ideals of freedom and republican democracy. Concepts of independence and self-sufficiency run deep in our family history. In just a few recent decades of my lifetime, we have seen a lot of these ideals crumble into the heap of liberal consumerism and Marxist idealism of mass and global socialism. These are truly interesting and perilous times to live in.

One of the great catalysts for my return to faith in Christ last year was seeing so clearly the hopelessness and darkness of the world and its institutions. Over the past 20 years, I have seen the rapid devastation of reason and faith. I myself was a victim of falling for the contemporary false religion of secular humanism…man being at the center and controller of all things in their lives. For over 35 years I lived according to my own ways and understanding and became angrier by the year for the encroachment of worldly institutions and global powers over my “personal sovereignty” and freedoms. Whether we realize it or not, our globe has fallen under the spell of global socialism and false security of self-serving political and economic powers that have no interest in faith or religion…unless it assists them in concentrating their powers of influence.

It has become increasingly evident to me that there is no political or economic solution to what ails our world. The increasing distance between the haves and the have nots, more and more power in the hands of fewer people, and the increasing ineptness of religions to effect change on the world all became too much for me to bear individually. Thankfully, through the influence of many people God put in my life and the everlasting power of His Word, the Bible, I have a peace and understanding I never thought possible over a year ago.

It has become clear to me spiritually that God IS the absolute ruler of this world…and the entire universe as well. Compared to God’s majesty and glory, man in all his pride and conceit is a laughing stock to God. The prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 46:10

“I declare the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.”

God has shown me through many sermons and His word the folly of “man’s ways”.  We think so highly of ourselves and our accomplishments. It truly is astounding what God has allowed man to accomplish in these modern times. The tech and intellectual advances in many things boggle the average mind. In my lifetime I have gone from rotary phones and “party lines” and massive mainframe computers to the power of cellphones and tiny personal computers that have more power than those old mainframes. We have put a man on the moon and sent space ships to Mars, yet in our arrogance, we do not see or recognize the power and sovereignty of the Creator who put all these intelligent systems in place. It seems easier for us to believe in “Big Bang” theories and evolutionary ape stories than a divine, all-powerful Creator. The folly of man knows no bounds in our darkened minds.

Two sermons recently reviewed on Youtube by John MacArthur and R.C. Sproul represent the truth of God’s sovereignty over man’s freedoms which links I will share below. God gave us the freedom and power to become “sons of God”, yet we allowed the evil one to bring us to the heresy of thinking that we are all-sufficient without Him and that God has lied to us. It started with man believing that God lied when He said eating of the tree of knowledge would surely bring death. 6000 years later we continue living under the curse of that choice. The Israelites squandered their preferred status as God’s chosen people by continued disobedience and sin even when God demonstrated His power to them in so many ways. They preferred the dark powers and kingdoms that existed in their day versus following the one true God. Oh, the power and allure of SIN!

Today we have the miraculous Gospel and example of Christ which instructs us in what it means to be free. True freedom is being free from sin and darkness. It is not about having the right to do our own thing or usurp our way over others or God Himself. Freedom is truly about sacrifice and living for the future kingdom God has promised us in the second coming of His Son, Jesus Christ. Freedom is clearly understanding light from darkness and being able to choose light. Freedom is not having the cares of this world, but living in full expectation and service to our calling as the Children of God.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 7:22, “For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave.” While a variety of meanings can be extrapolated from this passage, my personal experience informs me that my decades of declaring and pursuing “personal freedom” as a right have been replaced by my spiritual transformation. My freedom now is in pursuing Christ and HIS righteousness…nothing of my own. I am not to be measured by wealth, success in this world, or my appearances of “good”.  Rather, I am to be marked as a SLAVE of Christ and what He commands of me. I answer to no one but Him. All else is empty fodder to be burned away in the coming kingdom.

So, no matter where we are in the spectrum of this earth’s blessings and freedoms…whether we be rich or poor, free or slave, healthy or not…we all fall under the everlasting sovereignty of God the Almighty. Yes, we have a choice in whether we obey or not…but all else is outside of our control. God WILL have His way…whether we go with the program or not.

My prayer is that each of us will submit our futile freedoms to the will of God for our lives. We need to give up our pride in freedom. Whether we deem ourselves as “special” or “blessed” by God, we need to remain in an attitude of loving slavery to our master. There is no other way that leads to real spiritual freedom and having eternal life with God our Father.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,  and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (Romans 8:12-17)

Sovereignty and Freedom – John MacArthur

If God is sovereign, how can man be free? – R.C. Sproul