Christian History of Today and Tomorrow

The Book Of Freedom

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

John 8: 31, 32 King James Version

I receive a lot of emails from people who tell me that they feel like they are locked up in a prison. Some say they feel trapped in marriages with spouses who are abusive to them. Others say that they feel locked up in their emotions. I submit to you on the authority of the Word of God that “the truth shall make you free”.

The truth is that Jesus loves you so much that He willingly walked that long and lonely road to Calvary to die for you on the old rugged cross. There is no greater love than the love of our Heavenly Father and our precious Saviour. Even if your marriage is the most wonderful marriage on earth, the love of your spouse for you is nothing compared to the love that God and Jesus has for you. They love you unconditionally no matter what you do. You are so precious to them.

We are instructed in the Bible to be peacemakers. No where in the Bible does it say that we are to be doormats for people to walk all over us. We read in the Bible “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12: 18). We need to realize that we can’t change anyone’s heart. Three years ago, when God first gave me the ministry of writing devotions I received an email from someone who said “My husband beats me every day. I have left him twice but I always come back because basically he is a good person and I keep thinking if I love him enough, he will change and stop beating me.”

I am not a counselor; I am a missionary. I did not know how to reply to this person so I contacted one of my pastor friends. The pastor told me to copy and paste what he told me and put it in the email to the person so I did that. The pastor told the person “God loves your husband more than you could ever love him so your theory that if you love him enough he will change is incorrect. Sometimes we try to take over God’s job and change people and by doing so we get in the way and hinder God from working in the person’s heart and life. If your husband hits you again, I advise you to leave the house and tell him that until he gets help, you will not come home. However, you need to keep praying for him that God will soften his heart”.

No, we don’t have to live in fear of anyone or anything. We have been set free by the atoning cleansing blood of Jesus which He shed for us when He was crucified. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8: 36). Not only did Jesus set us free from our sins; He set us free from the bondage of satan and this world.

If you are in a situation that makes you feel like you are locked up in a prison, go to Jesus. Tell Him all about it. He already knows how you feel but He wants you to talk to Him about it. Allow Him to comfort you, encourage you and heal your broken heart as only He can. Above all, don’t willingly subject yourself to be beaten by an abusive spouse or anyone else. Jesus died for your freedom. He paid an agonizing price for your freedom, His own blood. Walk in the freedom that Jesus bought for you that dark and terrible day when He hung on that cross.

© Joanne Lowe 2008
You may contact Joanne by e-mail: 
joannelowe8@cox.net