DO YOU KNOW: That many who think that they are truly free are actually in bondage?
★ That besides some in physical slavery, many are in real figurative bondage to drugs, illicit sex, alcohol, tobacco, witchcraft, Satanism, false religions, gambling, gluttony, sports, business, professions, etc., from which as figurative balls and chains they are unable to free themselves?
★ That man and woman were created by God to live forever on earth (Gen. 1:27, 28; 3:22) in true freedom from fear, hunger, want, sickness, old age, etc., and were to multiply and fill the earth with people living together in joy, peace, happiness, brotherhood and good will?
(Read carefully the next pages)
★ That God made Adam and Eve lower than angels, with dominion over earth and the lower animals (Gen. 1:28; Psa. 8:4-8), and told them they could eat fruit of the trees of the garden except one, and that if they ate of it they would surely die (Gen. 2:16, 17; 3:1-5)?
★ That when they sinned by eating of this fruit, they lost their true freedom and fell into "the bondage of corruption," into sin and death (Rom. 5:12-19; 8:20, 21), and that all their children, the human family, including you and me, were born in sin and "shapen in iniquity," under the death sentence (Psa. 51:5), without true freedom?
★ That God in His infinite Wisdom and Love made a great Plan, in which His only begotten Son, the mighty Logos, became human, "the man Christ Jesus," and willingly laid down His life as a Ransom-price for Adam and all mankind, who descended from him (Matt. 18:11; Rom. 5:6-8; John 1:14; 3:14-17; Phil. 2:5-11; 1 Tim. 2:4-6; Heb. 2:9-14; 1 John 2:2)?
★ That God in His great love has arranged that any of us who recognize and are truly sorry for our sins and imperfections because of heredity through Adam and our own fault, can anywhere and anytime tell this to God in prayer and ask for and receive forgiveness and justification (making right) and freedom from bondage to dead works through faith in Jesus and His great Ransom-sacrifice for us (Acts 4:10-12; 16:31; 20:21; Rom. 4:25; 5:1; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-10)?
★ That we are to accept our Jesus as Lord (Ruler or Controller) as well as Savior, in dedication, or consecration, to do God's will to the best of our ability (Acts 2:36; 10:36; Heb. 10:7)?
★ That after we thus accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior we are "made free" from the bondage of sin and we become "servants of righteousness"—that "being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:18, 22, 23)?
★ That "there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:1)?
★ That as we begin "walking in newness of life" with Jesus Christ, and progress, we soon should no longer be in bondage to drugs, alcohol, illicit sex, tobacco, gambling, witchcraft, Satanism, false religions, etc. (Rom. 6:5; 2 Cor. 5:17)?
★ That as God's people were at one time in cruel bondage to Pharaoh in Egypt and were freed by Moses, so we were in cruel bondage to Satan, sin, error, selfishness and worldliness, but have freedom from their domination through our Lord Jesus, the great antitypical Moses?
★ That Jesus said, "If ye continue in my word [as its hearers, learners, and obeyers], then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:32, 36; 2 Cor. 6:17, 18)?
★ That it is necessary for those of us who are Jesus' free "disciples indeed," to "stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" in which we formerly were (Gal. 5:1), or some other deceptive entanglements?
★ That Satan and his servants will promise us greater liberty if we follow their ways, but that "they themselves are the servants of corruption," who will seek to entangle and enslave us again in the pollutions of the world, in our old bad habits, etc., like figurative balls and chains, and to cause us to return like a washed sow to wallowing in the mire (2 Pet. 2:19-22)?
★ That for those who in this time of evil and crookedness (Phil. 2:15, 16) hold on to their true freedom in Christ, and serve "as shining lights" in this present evil world, "holding forth the word of life," God has special great favors in reservation in His coming "new heavens and new earth wherein dwells righteousness" (2 Pet. 3:13)?
★ That these great Divine favors are far above God's favors for mankind in general, that will be given to them in Christ's 1,000-year Kingdom, when the whole groaning creation will be delivered "from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God," and receive their Kingdom reward of everlasting life on earth (Rom. 8:19-23; Rev. 21:2-4; 22:3)?
Would you like more information on this subject? Contact us for more details.
