A FORM OF FREEDOM

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Pearl

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A FORM OF FREEDOM

One summer, on a warm and sunny day out, I heard some birds singing very loudly. They sounded very close at hand but I didn’t recognise their calls. I stood up from my place at an outdoor table and peered into the nearby trees but could see no sign of any birds. After puzzling about it for a few minutes I became aware of people pointing and on turning round in my chair I saw the unbelievable sight of two beautiful cockatiels sitting on their perches in a cage which was being transported in a small home-made trailer attached to the back of an old bicycle. The birds’ owner had parked them up outside the bank whilst he conducted his bit of business and they were drawing quite a bit of admiring attention. These birds were obviously happy to be out in the warm sunshine and obviously felt a sort of freedom; but they were not free. They were not being allowed to fulfil their true potential for flight in the element for which they were designed.

I believe that there are many Christians like that; they have seen the light and enjoy the warmth of God’s love and are quite happily sitting on their perches singing inside the cages they have built, or have allowed others to build, around them. We all have the potential to fly in the spiritual element for which we are designed; to soar like eagles; so why do we settle for anything less? So if you recognise this feeling that you are in a ‘cage’ let me strongly encourage you to remove all the restrictions in your lives that are being allowed to form those cages so that you might fulfil your true potential to soar in the spiritual realms. And we can only fully succeed in this with the help and infilling of the Holy Spirit.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:35-37
 

Pearl

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The cage represents slavery. And what we were slaves to was sin. I think the better verses on this would be John 8:34-36, showing that Jesus frees us from SIN, making us free indeed.
Yes Jesus makes us free from sin but even when the door of the cage is open some people refuse to fly away. There are all sorts of restrictions that we impose on our selves or allow other to impose on us. We need to be ourselves and not some version of another person or a diluted version of who we ought to be. Just be ourselves, only answering to God.
 
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Helen

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Yes Jesus makes us free from sin but even when the door of the cage is open some people refuse to fly away. There are all sorts of restrictions that we impose on our selves or allow other to impose on us. We need to be ourselves and not some version of another person or a diluted version of who we ought to be. Just be ourselves, only answering to God.

Lovely opening post. Love it! Good word for the day.

Agree, we have been set free, but how often do we forget the cage door is open and that we have spiritual 'wings' and can rise in the Spirit with God.

Some of us are afraid to fly, but just scratch around in this here and now like chicken , and never "look up" into the higher realm.

Eagle saints arise ...

PS, glad that I found this thread, it didn't pop up in my Alerts, and it should have done...because I am following you ( ha! stalking you :) )
 

Helen

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. I think the better verses on this would be John 8:34-36, showing that Jesus frees us from SIN, making us free indeed.

He freed us indeed, Yet how many act as if they are free, so many still act as if their freedom depend on them, not on what He has done for and in us. :(
 
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Nancy

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Too many Christians shackle themselves, just going right back to the bondage of sinning - by a works based salvation. Just my observation and experience... :)
 

Episkopos

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Freedom can only come about by the law of Christ...the law of the Spirit of life when we enter into Christ to walk in the Spirit. Otherwise we ARE STILL under the law of sin and death.

Unfortunately what people speak of so often is a hybrid of the 2.....taking the easy elements of each so that it would be something like...the law of sin and life.

But the denial of the reality of the law does not bring freedom....but only an illusion of freedom. People prefer this since the responsibilities of actual freedom are very undesirable.
 

Pearl

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He freed us indeed, Yet how many act as if they are free, so many still act as if their freedom depend on them, not on what He has done for and in us. :(
Exactly @ByGrace, That is what the post is about. You got it in one.
 
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farouk

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A FORM OF FREEDOM

One summer, on a warm and sunny day out, I heard some birds singing very loudly. They sounded very close at hand but I didn’t recognise their calls. I stood up from my place at an outdoor table and peered into the nearby trees but could see no sign of any birds. After puzzling about it for a few minutes I became aware of people pointing and on turning round in my chair I saw the unbelievable sight of two beautiful cockatiels sitting on their perches in a cage which was being transported in a small home-made trailer attached to the back of an old bicycle. The birds’ owner had parked them up outside the bank whilst he conducted his bit of business and they were drawing quite a bit of admiring attention. These birds were obviously happy to be out in the warm sunshine and obviously felt a sort of freedom; but they were not free. They were not being allowed to fulfil their true potential for flight in the element for which they were designed.

I believe that there are many Christians like that; they have seen the light and enjoy the warmth of God’s love and are quite happily sitting on their perches singing inside the cages they have built, or have allowed others to build, around them. We all have the potential to fly in the spiritual element for which we are designed; to soar like eagles; so why do we settle for anything less? So if you recognise this feeling that you are in a ‘cage’ let me strongly encourage you to remove all the restrictions in your lives that are being allowed to form those cages so that you might fulfil your true potential to soar in the spiritual realms. And we can only fully succeed in this with the help and infilling of the Holy Spirit.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:35-37
An aspect for the true believer also is the fact that the Holy Spirit cries 'Abba, Father'... (Romans 8).
 

marks

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A FORM OF FREEDOM

One summer, on a warm and sunny day out, I heard some birds singing very loudly. They sounded very close at hand but I didn’t recognise their calls. I stood up from my place at an outdoor table and peered into the nearby trees but could see no sign of any birds. After puzzling about it for a few minutes I became aware of people pointing and on turning round in my chair I saw the unbelievable sight of two beautiful cockatiels sitting on their perches in a cage which was being transported in a small home-made trailer attached to the back of an old bicycle. The birds’ owner had parked them up outside the bank whilst he conducted his bit of business and they were drawing quite a bit of admiring attention. These birds were obviously happy to be out in the warm sunshine and obviously felt a sort of freedom; but they were not free. They were not being allowed to fulfil their true potential for flight in the element for which they were designed.

I believe that there are many Christians like that; they have seen the light and enjoy the warmth of God’s love and are quite happily sitting on their perches singing inside the cages they have built, or have allowed others to build, around them. We all have the potential to fly in the spiritual element for which we are designed; to soar like eagles; so why do we settle for anything less? So if you recognise this feeling that you are in a ‘cage’ let me strongly encourage you to remove all the restrictions in your lives that are being allowed to form those cages so that you might fulfil your true potential to soar in the spiritual realms. And we can only fully succeed in this with the help and infilling of the Holy Spirit.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:35-37

Hi Pearl,

I think the cage bars are build of self-condemnation.

I think that so long as we feel we aren't accepted by God as-is, we feel that we have to change, and the change becomes a new Law. But when we realize, well, there's a song I like that says it well,

"You made a way for me to walk in grace so I could love you face to face . . ."
Father of Lights - Jesus Culture

God made it possible for our sins to be forgiven, and we become dead to the Law, and now stand in grace. We walk in God's grace - forgiven - so that we can be in a love relationship with our heavenly Father. And He promises to change us, to refashion us into what He wants for us to be.

We can get the idea that we aren't good enough, that we fall short of what He wants. But God is never disappointed in us. Disappointment comes from expecting one thing, but getting something less. God knows what every day will bring.

We are disappointed, but for God, it's like in the beginning of It's A Wonderful Life, the angels taking, "That's right! This is George's big day!". But there's no surprise. Only that God knows today will be the day I'm going to _________, and He already knows it, and He's already made plans for it, and if fact He set something in motion 20 years ago that's going to culminate today, to deliver me from _________.

In the case of my sin, He knows what I'm going to do, when I'm going to do it, and what my attitude will be. And none of this moves Him from loving me and sanctifying me.

If we feel that our sins are holding on to us, if we feel that we have to become "better people" before we can have a good relationship with God, we never step out of that cage.

If we can accept that we are free and forgiven, we can fly.

Much love!
Mark
 
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marks

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Freedom can only come about by the law of Christ...the law of the Spirit of life when we enter into Christ to walk in the Spirit. Otherwise we ARE STILL under the law of sin and death.

Unfortunately what people speak of so often is a hybrid of the 2.....taking the easy elements of each so that it would be something like...the law of sin and life.

But the denial of the reality of the law does not bring freedom....but only an illusion of freedom. People prefer this since the responsibilities of actual freedom are very undesirable.

Romans 8:8-9
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Two options, either you are in the flesh, and therefore, cannot please God. Not born again.

Or you are in the Spirit. And this passage defines someone who is "In the Spirit", this is someone in whom the Spirit of God lives.

So to be "in the spirit" doesn't mean to be "extra holy", "super-righteous", nothing like that. It means to have the Sprit of God living in you. Born again.

Once we realize that it's all, only, about what Jesus did, not about what we have done, or do, that makes us accepted by God, loved by God, based on Jesus's righteous life, His death and resurrection, then we can open our hands and let go the "laws" that we think we have to conform to, and instead walk in God's love and light as He conforms us as He wants.

Hybrid? "Law of sin and life"? No such thing. Can't exist. It's like the other thread that wants to make God the author of sin. It's a contradiction of terms.

Much love!
mark
 
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farouk

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Romans 8:8-9
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Two options, either you are in the flesh, and therefore, cannot please God. Not born again.

Or you are in the Spirit. And this passage defines someone who is "In the Spirit", this is someone in whom the Spirit of God lives.

So to be "in the spirit" doesn't mean to be "extra holy", "super-righteous", nothing like that. It means to have the Sprit of God living in you. Born again.

Once we realize that it's all, only, about what Jesus did, not about what we have done, or do, that makes us accepted by God, loved by God, based on Jesus's righteous life, His death and resurrection, then we can open our hands and let go the "laws" that we think we have to conform to, and instead walk in God's love and light as He conforms us as He wants.

Hybrid? "Law of sin and life"? No such thing. Can't exist. It's like the other thread that wants to make God the author of sin. It's a contradiction of terms.

Much love!
mark
Wonderful chapter, Romans 8! :)
 
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Pearl

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Hi Pearl,

I think the cage bars are build of self-condemnation.

I think that so long as we feel we aren't accepted by God as-is, we feel that we have to change, and the change becomes a new Law. But when we realize, well, there's a song I like that says it well,

"You made a way for me to walk in grace so I could love you face to face . . ."
Father of Lights - Jesus Culture

God made it possible for our sins to be forgiven, and we become dead to the Law, and now stand in grace. We walk in God's grace - forgiven - so that we can be in a love relationship with our heavenly Father. And He promises to change us, to refashion us into what He wants for us to be.

We can get the idea that we aren't good enough, that we fall short of what He wants. But God is never disappointed in us. Disappointment comes from expecting one thing, but getting something less. God knows what every day will bring.

We are disappointed, but for God, it's like in the beginning of It's A Wonderful Life, the angels taking, "That's right! This is George's big day!". But there's no surprise. Only that God knows today will be the day I'm going to _________, and He already knows it, and He's already made plans for it, and if fact He set something in motion 20 years ago that's going to culminate today, to deliver me from _________.

In the case of my sin, He knows what I'm going to do, when I'm going to do it, and what my attitude will be. And none of this moves Him from loving me and sanctifying me.

If we feel that our sins are holding on to us, if we feel that we have to become "better people" before we can have a good relationship with God, we never step out of that cage.

If we can accept that we are free and forgiven, we can fly.

Much love!
Mark
For me the symbolism of the cage was more to do with bars of our own making rather than sin. Possible self condemnation could be part of what keeps us in a cage instead of flying free as the eagles God intends us to be. But also it can be the condemnation of others, even if it's only in the form of a look or word that we take to heart. We can allow ourselves to be trapped by what people think of us and our own thoughts about who we are.

We should concentrate on who God says we are and not even try to conform to the ways of the world.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

So part of that renewal of the mind is to accept who we are in Christ and not beat ourselves for what we aren't. That sort of thinking keeps us in the cage. We can sing beautiful songs to God but we will never fly free if we continue with that thinking.
 
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farouk

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For me the symbolism of the cage was more to do with bars of our own making rather than sin. Possible self condemnation could be part of what keeps us in a cage instead of flying free as the eagles God intends us to be. But also it can be the condemnation of others, even if it's only in the form of a look or word that we take to heart. We can allow ourselves to be trapped by what people think of us and our own thoughts about who we are.

We should concentrate on who God says we are and not even try to conform to the ways of the world.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

So part of that renewal of the mind is to accept who we are in Christ and not beat ourselves for what we aren't. That sort of thinking keeps us in the cage. We can sing beautiful songs to God but we will never fly free if we continue with that thinking.
For the believer, the transforming process never ends, does it? :)
 
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Pearl

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For the believer, the transforming process never ends, does it? :)
Absolutely true farouk. The further we get the more faults and weaknesses seem to come to light for Him to deal with. It's a good job He doesn't show us all those things at once. Perhaps he works on a priority basis. :)
 
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farouk

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Absolutely true farouk. The further we get the more faults and weaknesses seem to come to light for Him to deal with. It's a good job He doesn't show us all those things at once. Perhaps he works on a priority basis. :)
It's about what Peter calls growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3).