Are You Struggling…

 

…with your Freedom in Christ and some of the challenges involved in EXPERIENCING IT AS JESUS DOES?

A friend and fellow-reader of this blog, Boyd Merriman, wrote and sent to me a modern day parable that illustrates some of the dynamics involved. It is also a great compliment to my last post on the historical analogy of the Emancipation Proclamation as it relates to the Gospel. I thought it was good and asked him if I could post it here and he said that I could. See what you think!

“Once upon a time, there was a man who was given the task of running the zoo and caring for its animals. He was called, The Zoo Keeper.

The Zoo Keeper walked the grounds of the zoo and observed the animals and their surroundings.  He was not pleased with what he saw.  He saw caged up animals that were not in their natural environments.  He heard their cries and gnashing of teeth, and sometimes he heard nothing at all as they lay sleeping their lives away.

One particular animal took his interest.  It was a bear that slept in one corner of his cage, and when he was hungry, he would get up slowly, then walk over to the opposite corner to eat the food that was given to him.  He would then walk back to his corner and lay down to go back to sleep.  He was unhappy and unhealthy.

So The Zoo Keeper decided to change things.  He told his servants of a huge project which would involve acquiring new land, expanding the environment and building natural landscapes for the animals that would be exactly like their natural habitat in the wild.

The elephants would live in an environment just like their homes in Africa, and the monkeys would swing from real trees, and the polar bears would enjoy large cold water tanks and rocks. The servants rejoiced in hearing the Good News, and began the work. When they accomplished the renovations, the Zoo
Keeper said, “It is good.”

They then took the cage with the bear in it and set it into his new environment along with the other bears. They opened his cage door and waited.  The bear sniffed the air, looked around, looked at the open door, then walked over to his food, ate it, and then went back to his corner and laid down to sleep.

So the Zoo Keeper said, “Take down the walls of the cage and carry them away from here.  The bear does not realize that the door is opened to him, that he is free and has a new environment in which to live.”  So they took down the walls of his old cage, carried them away leaving the bear sleeping.

When the bear awoke, he looked around and noticed something different.  But his hunger took over, he got up as usual and walked over to where his food was, ate his food and then went back to where his bed was, and laid down to sleep. Even though there were no walls to confine him, he did not move beyond the confines of his belief of where his walls once stood.

So the Keeper said, “Take his food away from him.  Give him better food, food that has strong smell that will attract a bear, and put it several feet away from his normal area, and let us wait.” So they took the food away and set out a feast that only a bear could truly appreciate, and they put it several feet away from his usual place, away from his usual confines.

Eventually the bear woke up, walked over to where his food once sat, and did not find it.  He sniffed the air, and smelled the strong food and flavors that would attract a bear, yet not immediately seeing it, he turned back to his bed and laid there and slept, but this time, hungry.

Those with ears let them hear.

Notice that though the bear is in his new kingdom, a member of that kingdom, yet he is exercising his freedom in a way that is allowing the walls of his mind and beliefs to hold him to his old environment. An environment that has already changed and no longer exists as it once did! All of this change happened while he was sleeping and right under his very nose!

He did not see nor care that the other bears are free.  All he knew was his old environment.  Was the bear destroyed or punished for his lack of understanding?  No, but he suffered needlessly because of the strong, negative force of his misperceptions, which brought on his crying and gnashing of teeth. But daily, the servants of the zoo came to patiently lead him away from his old confines until he eventually was able to enjoy his new environment.

It is written that those who live by the law will die by the law. The law, like the cage, has been fulfilled in Jesus and taken off of our shoulders to complete. But if the bear believes that he is still confined to a cage, he will be alive (and yet still somehow be dead!) within the boundaries of his paradoxical existence.

But the Zoo Keeper was compassionate and loved the bear.  Instead of letting the bear sleep his life away, he sent in his servants who continued to encourage the bear and show him what it was like to live in the freedom he was designed for.  He eventually found a new place to sleep and eat, but more importantly, he found enjoyment in his new environment along with others of his kind.

Then the Zoo Keeper said, “It is very good”.”

Not Just Barely Free! Abundantly Free!!

 

Here is a great example from history illustrating the dynamics going on in humanity’s connection with God in Christ!

 

In 1862 Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Signing this document meant that slavery was illegal in the United States and all slaves in the U.S. were to be set free, immediately. Everything was fine for most of the freed slaves, and many of them celebrated and started enjoying their freedom, even though that freedom in and of itself was a very difficult adjustment. There was one exception to the freed slaves though.

 

In Galveston, Texas, slaves did not get the word about their freedom until two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation!! That is when the United States Calvary finally arrived there to tell them that they were officially set free two and one half years before!!!

 

 

The celebration of Juneteenth (June 19th) in the African-American community commemorates the release of these slaves in Galveston in 1865. This historical event and celebration is similar to what has happened with humanity in the Light of God’s Good News.

 

2000 years ago, the Son of God became flesh for 40+ years (John 8:57) as God had originally planned. During that time, He lived in, and fixed up, our broken, lying humanity! Col 2:10-15! Because our sin ACTUALLY corrupted our flesh, Jesus had to undo our corruption and put corrupt flesh to death – in the flesh!! Literally with blood, sweat and tears! Luke 2:52, 22:39-44, 23:46, Heb 5:7-8!

 

This tells us that the Father doesn’t just sweep our REAL problems under the rug and pour blood on them and act like things are fixed when they really aren’t! He actually fixes them and undoes the REAL mess! Pouring spaghetti sauce on a bowlful of spaghetti does not unscramble the spaghetti! It still takes a fork to actually unscramble the spaghetti!!

 

If Jesus had not actually gotten inside of our corrupt flesh, He would not REALLY have fixed anything at all! Jesus couldn’t walk in our nature and skin without actually walking IN OUR NATURE AND SKIN. Heb 2:17-18! By becoming REAL flesh and blood, Jesus literally fulfilled God’s original intention of Adopting Man into Triune God, undoing our sin, and placing us into His Renewed Humanity.

 

This is not just theology, theory or a good idea! Triune God REALLY did get us into Himself, by getting Himself into us. Col 3:3-4!! Jesus undid our human darkness and wrong thinking, and defeated the Devil’s purposes by believing the Truth about God’s goodness while living, literally, in our sinful flesh. Rom 5:15-21!

 

Jesus’ mother, Mary, was REALLY a sinful human being, Luke 1:46-47, and Jesus REALLY was born into our sinful humanity through her! Luke 2:1-14! However, Jesus did not sin while living in it!! Heb 4:15-16!

 

Regarding our freedom in Christ, this is often very difficult to adjust to. Have you ever seen a dog that was tied up all of the time finally be set free? I have seen two reactions. They will literally go “hog wild” and run all around the neighborhood and get into everything. They do this because they were meant to run free and NOT be tied up and it takes them a little while to adjust to their freedom and calm down!

 

On the other hand, some dogs have been so bound up by a leash for so long, that when you set them free they just sit there as if they are still bound. They can’t perceive their freedom. They are “bound” to the same “leash” IN THEIR FREEDOM, even though there is no “leash!!”

 

In a way Jesus was like Abraham Lincoln. When Jesus set the sinful flesh free from our lies and misperceptions, we were all set free at the same time! Remember the analogy a couple of posts back about Jesus being the “cup” and all of creation being like “water” inside the “cup”?

 

 

Whatever happens to the Son happens to the Creation that exists ONLY inside of Him. Heb 1:1-3! As a result, there are many who now believe this Truth and live in the freedom of it. Col 1:1-6! These people are called the Church, Christians, or Believers, and even a few other names (not all good!)

 

Unfortunately, most of us still seem to be like the slaves in Galveston, Texas. We either haven’t heard the word about our freedom in Jesus, yet, or, we don’t really embrace it, therefore, we have no other choice but to continue experiencing bondage (even though we are all totally free to believe and embrace the Truth in Jesus! John 8:36!

 

Our Freedom in Jesus Christ is the ONLY thing the Son is sharing with us! If we believe something else, it is coming from another source opposite of God and is evil – Gal 5:6-8 – because the Father and the Spirit are in total agreement and unity with the Son!!

 

Here are some good questions about this true story in American history:

 

When were the slaves in Galveston, Texas freed? Were they freed when Abraham signed the Emancipation Proclamation, or were they free only after they got the word and believed it? The answer is not really “either/or!” In short, the answer is, “Yes!”

 

All the slaves in the U.S. were TRULY, objectively freed when Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, AND, they were freed, in their experience, when they got the word of their freedom and believed it to be the truth!!

 

 

This is exactly how you should understand the subjects of “faith” and “salvation” in the Bible! Rom 4! Everyone in the Whole World is already Saved and Adopted into the Life of God because of our connection with Jesus Christ! 1Tim 4:9-10, Titus 2:11, Rom 11:28-32!  But we can only experience this Adoption and Salvation as truth when we embrace it as truth!!

 

 

If we don’t believe we are saved, even though we really are saved, then we can’t and won’t experience it the way Jesus does! We are like the dog that is “bound” without a leash! We can only live in the pain, lies and misperceptions that bring on the condition called hell! Eph 4:17-24!

 

Believing the Truth of our Adoption is GOOD! Not Believing the Truth of our Adoption is BAD!

 

 

Ephesians 1:7 (The Message):

 

“7 Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people – free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free!”