A Practical Guide to the Logic, Philosophy and Thoughts of Christianity

Section 1 - Article 8

Article 8 - The Freedom in Jesus Christ

This article elaborates on the freedom from the world that believers enjoy when they put their trust and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It also elaborates that without this freedom, man is bonded to a vicious cycle of materialism. Looking beyond is what allows many God-loving individuals to do extraordinary things, and that is available with the freedom as a follower of Jesus Christ.

Based on the Old Testament and the Jewish scriptures, the prophesied Messiah was expected to bring change and freedom to the world. The Jews of Jesus' time expected liberation from the Roman Empire, and eternal victory against their enemies alongside the establishment of an everlasting kingdom. Surprisingly, they got a carpenter's son who instructed submission to authority. How disappointing it must have been. In fact, many may wonder how Jesus defeated the powers of darkness, and if He had indeed freed anyone from bondage or principalities. After Jesus' death and resurrection, nothing seemed to have changed politically. Israel was still under Roman control, and Christians were fiercely prosecuted by Nero who used the Coliseum for torturing and killing of many Christians. How did Jesus free anyone from anything? Evil still persisted in the world, Satan continues to wreak havoc, and things were getting from bad to worse. Wars continue, moral values erode, and atheism is on the rise. So where is the freedom promised by Jesus the Messiah? The typical answer is that Man is no longer bound by the Old Testament law to be saved. Animal sacrifices, and the food laws no longer need to be observed, and so we are freed from the Old Testament laws. However, considering how the coming of the Messiah was supposed to bring change of a global scale, the little added freedom from sacrificial rites and food restrictions do not really seem much (when they were added on by God to Hebrews). In fact, the liberation from Old Testament rites hardly helps the destitute who cannot afford anything for either sacrifice or consumption.

The revolutionary movement offered by Jesus of Nazareth is not simply release of certain laws. It is actually the conferring of both power and freedom to any created being, even to the ones that are physically, mentally and spiritually bonded (we have all fallen and are bound to sin and corruption since the fall with ageing and death physically). To understand this, we must acknowledge with Paul (Ephesians 6:12) that we wrestle against principalities, ideas, theories, and belief systems rather than physical forces. We are not involved in literal physical battles against the forces of darkness (we do not fight demons physically), but against ideologies, beliefs and principalities. Underlying all the evil deeds in the history of man (e.g. wars), were evil beliefs, ideologies, and so on. Wars occur for reasons such as different beliefs, greed for power and control over nations, land, riches, women, resources and ideas such as communism and democracy. Everyday in the civilized society, people are constantly in war for rights, meritocracy, recognition, fairness, and so on. I do not believe there are any individuals engaged in physical battles against demons and the forces of darkness per se. Even if there are such physical battles against demons, it is also the differences in allegiance to beliefs and ideologies that underlie the battle (e.g. "we are good, they are evil", or "if we lose, Earth is doomed" or "war against terrorism", etc).

In the non-fantastical world, one major cause for these clashes of ideas is simply because of survival and extinction. It is either one or the other. In most clashes of ideas, there is no tolerance. "Good and evil cannot co-exist". "Either I own the woman/throne/power/etc, or I do not". "Either I survive, or I do not". "Either the country is meritocratic, or it is not". Whilst hybrids and compromises may occur for certain examples, it is unlikely that compromises will be to everyone's satisfaction and definitely not a long term solution. What is a fair compromise at the moment may not be a fair compromise in the view of future generations. A truce or a compromise is merely a temporary solution. People want to survive and they want their ideas, thoughts and desires to do so as well. And when existentialists come together under limited resources, conflicts leading to battles and wars occur. The solution may be present in the teachings of Buddha in which the cessation of desires seems like a possible answer. Though a possible solution, the cessation of desires requires a major change in human nature that is difficult, if not plain impossible, for it is quite against human nature to exist and yet not put one's own existence or offspring in the place of utmost importance.

Jesus Christ offers better solutions that are accomplishable within human nature (for the most part). Firstly, He promises the perpetuating existence of all who trust and believe in Him in the form of eternal life (it is part of human nature to crave for life). This eternal life is not threatened by physical death, which is but the door to an eternal existence (what is believed to be an end is in fact the beginning). For the existentialist, this is very good news. Secondly, Jesus promises an eternal anchor to one's existence. He says He will acknowledge those who believe in Him. If the most powerful eternal entity recognizes you as an important or valuable person, you are eternally an important and valuable person. Thirdly, Jesus promises happiness and bliss with Him, free from sorrows and pain (physical bondage of the Fall) in the new heaven and earth. Fourthly, Jesus promises the preparation of a place for those who follow Him, and an everlasting time of happiness, making human lifespan a mere twinkling of an eye when compared to the happy eternity that awaits.

Left to one's own devices, everyone will naturally work for their own interest, survival, and benefit first. Only the healthy can care for the sick, and only the richer can give to the poorer (I mean this in more than just monetary terms). However, Jesus Christ says to focus on the things of God, and that he will reward us with things that are of our best interests (Romans 8:28). Who better to determine our best interests than the Creator, who knows each and every being better that they do themselves (it is human nature to seek the best for themselves, and this desire is met here). Thus, every believer is encouraged to selflessly work for God's purpose, while the Creator Who knows best works for the believer's best interest. This provides a revolutionary freedom to believers of Christ in personal philosophy, facilitating their willingness to give up on working only for their own interests. To those that truly believe, ideas, survival, and desires no longer matter in this short life.

Free with the security of survival and existence, the believer is truly released from any shackles. This freedom comes only from believing and following Jesus' commandments as the Bible teaches, available for everyone anytime, anywhere, and is a true triumph over the principalities, and ideas of this world.

Rejecting this freedom, man in the working for his own interest has, thus far failed to make himself and others around him happy. The destitute has no freedom, and is bound in a battle to improve the chance of survival, the average middle-class is in a battle to upgrade or maintain their position with the two flanking groups. The rich is bound to constant accumulation of wealth to remain status quo with the threat of the two poorer groups. In his endeavors, man rarely knows when and where to stop. Beyond wealth, this hierarchy can also be applied to levels of sophistication, technology, education, harems and so on. With no satisfaction and contentment, happiness is elusive. Yet, Jesus Christ offers freedom from these pursuits and hierarchies of the world because they do not matter in this temporal-life. Indeed, any oppression, misfortune, and unhappiness resulting from the failure of achievement or from the infliction by others, has a consolation: that in a twinkling of an eye, we will have joy and blessing in eternity. For this very reason, there comes the final and hardest shackle of ego that believers are freed from. They are additionally freed from their human natures to be selfless, exhibiting martyrdom, self-sacrifice, and happiness in sorrow more readily.

Truly, those in Christ are freed from any political, sociological, physical, and psychological bondage, and also from the very sinful nature that plagues us.