(this only touches a small portion of freedom)
It kills me to continuously witness the very heart and soul of the power which has propelled me towards eternal joy, be so misunderstood. Even those who proclaim to know Jesus often fail to comprehend what is offered through the gift. The watching world looks to the picture painted by the body of Christ. Quickly, many turn their head in disgust, and understandably so. For no one wants to take part in a relationship which propels judgment and a narcissistic outlook. No one desires religious lifestyle led by commandments and rules. There is nothing appealing about a group of people who preach one thing, and live out another.
Freedom has become an inconvenient misconception.
What I wish the outside world could understand as their outlook concludes such perceptions, is that this is not the image Jesus came to display. The doctrine of Christianity teaches of freedom, not religious condemnation. It teaches of love, and not hate; genuineness, and not facade. We are to be examples of the same grace we have been allotted.
Jesus came on terms of freedom, and freedom includes forgiveness.
One of the most alarming realities within the realm of Christianity is that we learn to forgive as we have been forgiven. At its core, I believe all humanity comes to the conclusion that forgiveness is a rather nice notion based on the undeniable truth that we all need to be forgiven in one form or another. That is, until one must forgive on account of their own sufferings. It is quite easily accepted until man is forced to empathize amidst his own pain. Please note, I am not beginning an explanation concerning acceptance; acceptance and forgiveness are quite different indeed. Acceptance infers one should allow for a damaging action or feeling to abound because you love the person. True forgiveness begins with ‘hating the sin, but loving the sinner’. This may seem to be contradictory, as I myself couldn’t comprehend the difference in the beginning stages of my journey with Jesus. I watched from the outside as self-proclaimed followers would approach people with different struggles or lifestyles by speaking holy living and condemnation over their mistakes. I watched as they lived out ‘forgiveness’ on terms of their own. Some spoke hell over another, while others pointed to themselves for examples in comparison. There are plenty who claim to know the God of the universe, while simultaneously displaying an absence of forgiveness.
But Jesus came on terms of freedom through forgiveness!
For years I failed to understand the phrase pertaining to hating action and loving the actor. I never understood how God could conjure up such a viewpoint; that is, until I looked internally. I surely don’t condemn myself, but I sure do dislike the debauchery my mind, heart and hands desire. I hate my own ignorant ideas and action, but I don’t hate myself. For man to experience forgiveness in a genuine fashion, he first must be capable of recognizing his own inadequacies. Following a self awareness of such fleshly existence, man must also be capable of seeing his own shortcomings in another’s. This leads us towards the ability to empathize through a lens of grace.
Jesus wasn’t blind to the prostitute thrown to the street. I am sure he heard the cries of “slut” from the crowd surrounding her, but that didn’t stop him from swooping down and covering her shame. It didn’t keep Jesus from loving her with the same love he loves all of humanity with. You see, many people will tell you that Jesus hates specific action, but I don’t believe this to be the case at all. Jesus hates shame and issues that result from the action due to the impact it has on his beloved. Jesus hates the brokenness that propels the initial search for satisfaction away from the one experience capable of fulfillment. Jesus hates those things because He loves us. Part of the ability to experience accounts of extreme forgiveness is the recognition of the realities that lie beneath our actions. A woman doesn’t sleep around because that is who she is; a woman sleeps around because of the brokenness within her. A man doesn’t run to drugs because that is who he is; a man runs to drugs in search of temporary satisfaction. We don’t go to war or fight, because of a particular disagreement; we fight because of the ignorance embedded through the prideful state of our humanity.
There is always something beneath the action. Jesus knew that. But Jesus did not encourage our ignorant actions because that doesn’t beckon us onward towards our potential; rather he encouraged the man behind the pain and mistakes. He didn’t accept the debauchery we are so easily drawn to, but he always accepted man in spite of his own inadequacies. Complete acceptance of our brokenness doesn’t display an ultimate love. Complete acceptance of the man behind the hurt exemplifies ultimate love. Sacrificing in order to save in spite of, exemplifies ultimate love. For that is the greatest display of forgiveness.
Forgiveness surely doesn’t look like an absence of acceptance; but neither does forgiveness look like a complete acceptance of our shortcomings. Freedom comes from forgiving and empowering our surrounding world. Freedom lives through loving in spite of.
Jesus came to display freedom through forgiveness; to free us from our own inadequacies! Jesus wants to meet us where we are, and change us so we can change the world around us.
Before I sign off, I want to also briefly discuss the danger in allowing ourselves to become so ingrained in our actions. Attempts to continuously fill our lives could quite easily keep us from experiencing the peace that is waiting. If we are constantly needing to feed ourselves with something new, how unimportant do we consider ourselves? King Solomon always felt that he needed a new business idea, or a new woman. He searched for action to keep him preoccupied, and it wasn’t until he recognized that action, money and women were incapable of fulfilling him that he recognized his need to sit still. Acknowledgement of how meaningless his action came once he recognized what has always been extended. Grace, Joy and Peace. As his life ended, he finally allowed the presence of God to surround him, the power of God to protect him and the love of God to enfold him. He finally found freedom.
Jesus came on terms of freedom, and freedom begins with recognizing our identity is not defined by our performance or our things, but rather by the unending love we are embraced with.
It is also quite imperative that we understand the dangers in seeking affirmation through perspective. Often we build up areas in our life, or within our being, simply for the acceptance of others. I get it, as I too have struggled greatly in seeking everywhere besides the well that replenishes us. But this mindset only traps us in a false reality. If we take steps on account of other people, we tend to enslave ourselves to some form of a facade. Pontius Pilate in no way saw a danger in who Jesus was. Actually, he saw what Jesus held within him; he knew what Jesus brought to the table. If it weren’t for the opinions of the people around him, Jesus would have never been crucified that day, but rather Pilate concerned himself so with the perception he may have received had he not conformed to a people-pleaser. Authenticity is far greater than any mask we could ever wear.
Jesus came on terms of freedom, and freedom includes understanding perspective doesn’t set you free. Rather, transparency is a beginning step in walking into complete freedom.
So please, be mighty careful in filling your life with desire and more desires. With things and more things. With perceptions, and more perceptions. We mustn’t allow our precious existence to be overcome by our humanity. For if we are to live as King Solomon did, we will never find the joy in wandering across the desert as did Moses. If we are so concerned with our perception as did Pilate, will we ever experience freedom in the same sense Barbbados did? Freedom rings from the depths of Grace that are extended. Never from the outcome of our work; never from the view of the world.
