Who doesn’t want to live in freedom? We have all felt, at one time or another, heavy, trapped, and burdened. But what if we could, once and for all, be free from these pressures and fully grasp God’s truth?
What does it mean to walk in freedom?
Freedom is defined as “the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. The state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.”
To walk in freedom is, therefore, described for a Believer as walking fully in your salvation through Yeshua. Truly believing all that God has said about who He is, who you are in Him, and what His promises are will transform your definition of freedom.
Hebrew words and meanings of freedom…
Freedom rings loudly throughout God’s Word. But we can’t have freedom if we don’t understand what enslaves us. When we dare to ask God to reveal to us what our motives and anxious thoughts are, we must have faith that freedom is on the other side.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties, and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”—Psalm 139:23-24
Let’s look at the Hebrew words for freedom…
- Chofesh
- Cherut
Both words reference freedom. However, they carry slightly different connotations.
Chofesh refers to the freedom to do whatever you like.
Cherut refers to the freedom to do what you should.
Let’s look a bit deeper to find out more and how the two words relate. Chofesh describes the idea of a vacation, spending time relaxing and free from work. It is a break from the mundane, experiencing renewal and rejuvenation.
God has appointed times for such renewals in Sabbath days and various feasts and festivals. Even feasts, such as Yom Kippur, contain days with built-in “rest” components.
Now look at Cherut—this brings depth to the meaning of chofesh.
God brought us out of the bondage of sin. Therefore, we are free to choose Christ’s ways by the guidance and counsel of the Holy Spirit. We are now equipped to fulfill the will of God. We have the freedom to choose the truth.
The Bible says this about choosing cherut freedom…
“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
“I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.
“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
“But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”—Romans 6:14-23
A Believer is set free but can still be imprisoned. How is this possible? It goes back to who you believe and what voice you are listening to. Think about this—a prisoner who has lived within the confines of a jail cell for years develops habits and ways of thinking that identify with imprisonment.
Even after the prisoner is set free, those habits and errors in thinking are still there. Yes, the prisoner is free, but he or she continues to live as if imprisoned.
Yeshua’s work on the cross set you free legally, but you can still step in and out of God’s covered protection. The enemy wants you to yield to your desires rather than God’s so that you believe Satan’s lies rather than God’s truth.
This mind game the enemy plays with us, and too often we fall for, leads to a path of fear, doubt, and unbelief… essentially, not walking in the freedom we have been given.
What do you want to be free from?
Take an honest assessment of what is holding you back in your walk. We discussed earlier this year about setting your year for success. You set your life for success by walking in freedom.
We encourage you to pray as David did in Psalm 139… “Try me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me.”
Enter into the
Courts of Heaven and declare your freedom!
- Approach God as the Righteous Judge.
- Ask Him to reveal any motives in your heart that aren’t pure and are not from Him.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse them, to rid you of anxieties, fears, loneliness, doubt and unbelief.
- Ask Him again to show you the areas in your life where the temptations of the enemy have caused you to stumble back into the chains He has broken you out of.
- Decree and declare God’s truth over your life. The freedom you have in Yeshua’s blood.
- Thank Him for what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do in your life.
The Takeaway…
Here is what Satan often tells Believers:
- “If you are free, then do whatever you want.”
Then he comes back around and condemns you for it.
Here is what God’s Word says:
- “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.”—1 Corinthians 10:23-24
God says He has an expanded definition of freedom, one that is everlasting. He wants to give you abundant freedom—freedom to live in His presence.
When we choose not what we want, but what God wants, we walk in light so brilliant we cannot fathom a path that He hasn’t illuminated for us. You have a choice to step into complete freedom. Don’t sell yourself short and continue to sit within the prison walls with an open door.
Exit that cell and ask God to show you His divine plan for your life that will be filled with joy and freedom beyond your comprehension.
“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’”—Isaiah 55:8-9
Curt Landry will be speaking more about freedom at Abba’s House at the 2018 RPMI Partner and Friends Conference with Pastor Ronnie Philips and others in Hixson, TN on Sunday, September 16th at 10:30 AM ET.
This event will not be live streamed. To attend in person, register now!
*Registration is FREE, but seating is limited.
