TRUE LIBERTY | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 4, 1900

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 26, No. 27.

TRUE LIBERTY.

THERE is no such joyful feeling or emotion in the earth as that which springs from a consciousness of freedom. To be truly at liberty, to be as "free as the bird" that flies, as the air that moves in the winds, as the water that flows in its limpid sparkle over its pebbly bed, is the most blessed state which a soul can know. The deeper the bondage from which one is delivered, and the more keenly it is felt, the greater will be the appreciation of the liberty of deliverance.

Now THE greatest and most widespread bondage this world knows is the bondage of sin. From its cruel power no human soul by nature is free. From the time when Satan's devices and deceptions found place in the hearts of our first parents in Paradise, the curse of bondage—the bondage of sin and death—has been upon the race. Beautiful tho the child may be, it is born with the brand of sin upon it. However wealthy or great its parents may be, neither untold wealth nor unlimited influence among men will release the power of sin. So far as humanity is concerned, its mortgage upon the race must inevitably go forward to foreclosure; and the end is death eternal.

ALL the misery we see or know is the result of sin's bondage. All sickness, all want and woe, all crime and iniquity, all suffering, oppression, injustice and fraud, all misery and poverty, all death and mourning, are only various forms of sin or the results of sin. The bowed forms, the whitened locks, the wrinkled faces, the darkened eyes, the feeble steps, are the whip-scars and gyve-marks of the cruelest tyrant earth ever knew—sin.

SIN is not only cruel, but deceptive. If he came offering his wares in their fulness, his seed in its fruitage, humanity would not be deceived. But he clothes the vilest vices in the garbs of sensual pleasure; the most besetting indulgence comes to us at first merely as mildly-exhilarating stimulants; murder introduces itself to the soul as offended dignity and mild hatred over some fancied wrong. Could we see the ruined debauchee, the bloated drunkard, the condemned murderer in their incipient stages, we would turn away with loathing. But it is the nature of sin to deceive; and oftentimes the soul will not believe, will not realize, that it is influenced by sin, till the deadly bands bind them about, and the demon laughs at the soul's helpless efforts to escape. And the worst bondage is the bondage not realized. It is pitiful to see a slave working under a taskmaster who is living upon his life blood, pitiful to see him wearily dragging at his every step the ball and chain of slavery; but it is more pitiful still to see souls held in the thrall of evil habit or passion, and not realizing that they are slaves. And yet, it is forever true that "to whom ye yield yourselves servants [slaves] to obey, his servants [slaves] ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness." Rom. 6:16. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Gal. 6:7.

THERE is another illustration, not less forcible, which the Scriptures use to represent the condition of mortals. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is desperately sick." Jer. 17:9, R. V. "The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and festering sores." Isa. 1:5, 6, R.V.

The sickness is the leprosy of sin, insatiable, progressive, incurable, fatal. Its beginning is unnoticed. It does not pale the cheek; its warning, if at all, is not heeded; and many are aroused to their true condition for the first time when somebody else discovers their condition. But all are born with the leprosy of sin; and there is no human remedy. There are quack cure-alls in plenty advertised. Every false religion is of this character. But all of these find their merit in humanity or its works. Even these are a part of the deceptions of sin's slave system.

BUT there is a remedy, divine, creative. It is God's power and wisdom and love manifest in the flesh. "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself." He wants no soul in bondage. He binds no soul to act against its will. He desires that we should desire His salvation, because He wants us to enjoy it forever. Because man would have his own way, God has let him have it, and we see the despairing fruitage of all earth's history apart from Him. But "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." And of that Son He said, "Thou shalt call His name JESUS; for He shall save His people from their sins." Matt. 1:21. The Saviour of a race of slaves is Jesus Christ.

HOW DOES He make us free? We do not know the alchemy by which the shackles of sin are melted away, by which the heart is changed to hate sin and love righteousness; but we do know that Jesus Christ does it for every soul who will believe. And "All the fitness He requireth Is to feel our need of Him." Here is His promise: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. This is not evolution, it is not divine self-healing; it is the creative power of God in the Gospel. "Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Titus 2:14. Has He not said it? and will He not do it? Then confess your sins, choose His way, His cleansing, and go free from sin and sinning. "If the Son make you free, ye shall be free indeed." Ye shall be free from sin and sinning, free from envy, lust, and hatred. Your salvation was begotten in divine love; it will beget love in all who receive it.

This is liberty;

this is the only liberty which will ever satisfy. Nay, more; this is a liberty which, if known and experienced, is preferred in physical oppression and tyranny to a place on the throne physically unshackled. Jesus on the cross was free; Pilate on the judgment-seat was a slave. Luther at Worms was at liberty; Charles the Fifth on the throne was a slave. John Huss in flames was a free man; Pope John XXIII., under whom he was put to death, was the abject slave of the cruelest system which ever cursed the world.

THE liberty of Christ Jesus is eternal. It had its day of deliverance from cruel bondage. It has its many days of glorious victory; it has its days of calm, quiet sailing along peaceful shores; it has its seasons of precious rest and counsel with the Master; it has its struggles, its groanings when the oppressor is cruel and the weak flesh is tried to the uttermost; but in it all it looks forward to the immortal state where sin and all its consequences will be forever banished, and all the redeemed, earth and people, shall forever enjoy the "glorious liberty of the sons of God," nevermore to know the bondage of sin.

"Take all the pleasures of all the spheres, And multiply each through endless years, One minute of heaven is worth them all." And we may have that minute here, ripening in a little while into the glorious eternal years of God. O soul, go free in Christ; and then "stand fast" "in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free"!