Reference: Liberty
Hastings
Moralists are accustomed to distinguish between formal freedom, or man's natural power of choice, and real freedom, or power to act habitually in accordance with the true and good. Scripture has little to say on the mere power of choice, while everywhere recognizing this power as the condition of moral life, and sees real liberty only in the possession and exercise of wisdom, godliness, and virtue. Where there is ignorance and error, especially when this arises from moral causes (Ro 1:21; Eph 4:18; 1Jo 2:11 etc.)
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And we hear, and melt doth our heart, and there hath not stood any more spirit in any man, from your presence, for Jehovah your God, He is God in the heavens above, and on the earth beneath.
And this is the thing for which Joshua circumciseth them: all the people who are coming out of Egypt, who are males, all the men of war have died in the wilderness, in the way, in their coming out of Egypt,
Cast me not forth from Thy presence, And Thy Holy Spirit take not from me. Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, And a willing spirit doth sustain me.
And I speak of Thy testimonies before kings, And I am not ashamed.
Of all perfection I have seen an end, Broad is Thy command -- exceedingly!
take up my yoke upon you, and learn from me, because I am meek and humble in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.'
and the truth shall make you free.'
Jesus answered them, 'Verily, verily, I say to you -- Every one who is committing sin, is a servant of the sin,
because, having known God they did not glorify Him as God, nor gave thanks, but were made vain in their reasonings, and their unintelligent heart was darkened,
for he who hath died hath been set free from the sin.
and thanks to God, that ye were servants of the sin, and -- were obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which ye were delivered up; and having been freed from the sin, ye became servants to the righteousness.
for we have known that the law is spiritual, and I am fleshly, sold by the sin; for that which I work, I do not acknowledge; for not what I will, this I practise, but what I hate, this I do. read more. And if what I do not will, this I do, I consent to the law that it is good, and now it is no longer I that work it, but the sin dwelling in me, for I have known that there doth not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh, good: for to will is present with me, and to work that which is right I do not find, for the good that I will, I do not; but the evil that I do not will, this I practise. And if what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I that work it, but the sin that is dwelling in me. I find, then, the law, that when I desire to do what is right, with me the evil is present, for I delight in the law of God according to the inward man, and I behold another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of the sin that is in my members.
I thank God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord; so then, I myself indeed with the mind do serve the law of God, and with the flesh, the law of sin.
for the law of the Spirit of the life in Christ Jesus did set me free from the law of the sin and of the death;
for ye did not receive a spirit of bondage again for fear, but ye did receive a spirit of adoption in which we cry, 'Abba -- Father.'
for ye did not receive a spirit of bondage again for fear, but ye did receive a spirit of adoption in which we cry, 'Abba -- Father.' The Spirit himself doth testify with our spirit, that we are children of God;
And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty;
and now, having known God -- and rather being known by God -- how turn ye again unto the weak and poor elements to which anew ye desire to be in servitude?
and my trial that is in my flesh ye did not despise nor reject, but as a messenger of God ye did receive me -- as Christ Jesus;
which things are allegorized, for these are the two covenants: one, indeed, from mount Sinai, to servitude bringing forth, which is Hagar; for this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and doth correspond to the Jerusalem that now is, and is in servitude with her children,
In the freedom, then, with which Christ did make you free -- stand ye, and be not held fast again by a yoke of servitude;
And I say: In the Spirit walk ye, and the desire of the flesh ye may not complete; for the flesh doth desire contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit contrary to the flesh, and these are opposed one to another, that the things that ye may will -- these ye may not do; read more. and if by the Spirit ye are led, ye are not under law.
And the fruit of the Spirit is: Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law; read more. and those who are Christ's, the flesh did crucify with the affections, and the desires; if we may live in the Spirit, in the Spirit also we may walk;
for by grace ye are having been saved, through faith, and this not of you -- of God the gift,
being darkened in the understanding, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart,
and might deliver those, whoever, with fear of death, throughout all their life, were subjects of bondage,
For ye came not near to the mount touched and scorched with fire, and to blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and a sound of a trumpet, and a voice of sayings, which those having heard did entreat that a word might not be added to them, read more. for they were not bearing that which is commanded, 'And if a beast may touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or with an arrow shot through,' and, (so terrible was the sight,) Moses said, 'I am fearful exceedingly, and trembling.'
and he who did look into the perfect law -- that of liberty, and did continue there, this one -- not a forgetful hearer becoming, but a doer of work -- this one shall be happy in his doing.
as free, and not having the freedom as the cloak of the evil, but as servants of God;
And we -- we have seen and do testify, that the Father hath sent the Son -- Saviour of the world; whoever may confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God in him doth remain, and he in God; read more. and we -- we have known and believed the love, that God hath in us; God is love, and he who is remaining in the love, in God he doth remain, and God in him.
Morish
Besides the common application of this term, it is used in scripture symbolically, as
1. The liberty obtained by Christ for those that were captives of Satan. Isa 61:1; Lu 4:18; Joh 8:36.
2. The conscience set free from guilt, as when the Lord said to several, "Thy sins be forgiven thee: go in peace."
3. Freedom from the law, etc. "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free." Ro 7:24-25; Ga 5:1. Jesus said, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." Joh 10:9.
4. The Christian's deliverance from the power of sin by having died with Christ, as in Ro 6:8-22; and, having reckoned himself dead to sin, experimentally enjoying liberty, as in Ro 8:2-4, after experiencing that the flesh is too strong for him The deliverance is realised by the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, and the love of God is known and enjoyed. Christ is then the object before the soul, and not self.
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The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is on me, Because Jehovah did anoint me To proclaim tidings to the humble, He sent me to bind the broken of heart, To proclaim to captives liberty, And to bound ones an opening of bands.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because He did anoint me; To proclaim good news to the poor, Sent me to heal the broken of heart, To proclaim to captives deliverance, And to blind receiving of sight, To send away the bruised with deliverance,
if then the son may make you free, in reality ye shall be free.
I am the door, through me if any one may come in, he shall be saved, and he shall come in, and go out, and find pasture.
And if we died with Christ, we believe that we also shall live with him, knowing that Christ, having been raised up out of the dead, doth no more die, death over him hath no more lordship; read more. for in that he died, to the sin he died once, and in that he liveth, he liveth to God; so also ye, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to the sin, and living to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not then the sin reign in your mortal body, to obey it in its desires; neither present ye your members instruments of unrighteousness to the sin, but present yourselves to God as living out of the dead, and your members instruments of righteousness to God; for sin over you shall not have lordship, for ye are not under law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? let it not be! have ye not known that to whom ye present yourselves servants for obedience, servants ye are to him to whom ye obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? and thanks to God, that ye were servants of the sin, and -- were obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which ye were delivered up; and having been freed from the sin, ye became servants to the righteousness. In the manner of men I speak, because of the weakness of your flesh, for even as ye did present your members servants to the uncleanness and to the lawlessness -- to the lawlessness, so now present your members servants to the righteousness -- to sanctification, for when ye were servants of the sin, ye were free from the righteousness, what fruit, therefore, were ye having then, in the things of which ye are now ashamed? for the end of those is death. And now, having been freed from the sin, and having become servants to God, ye have your fruit -- to sanctification, and the end life age-during;
A wretched man I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? I thank God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord; so then, I myself indeed with the mind do serve the law of God, and with the flesh, the law of sin.
for the law of the Spirit of the life in Christ Jesus did set me free from the law of the sin and of the death; for what the law was not able to do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, His own Son having sent in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, did condemn the sin in the flesh, read more. that the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
In the freedom, then, with which Christ did make you free -- stand ye, and be not held fast again by a yoke of servitude;