I've Been Set Free

Four and a half years ago, I attended a Chris Tomlin concert during his "See The Morning" tour.  It was one of the first stops on the tour, so the CD hadn't been out long at all, and I'd been in Thailand since the CD was released so I hadn't heard any of the new songs.  Blame it on jet-lag, or the fact that I had just gone through some of the biggest changes in my life up to that point, but I was an emotional wreck throughout the entire concert.  For someone who prided themselves on being unemotional, this was devastating to me and I had not a clue what to do with it.  I would long point back to that time as one of my "lowest" moments, and it was in a lot of ways.  But it was also the start of an "upward" moment.

Tomlin's "See The Morning" album debuted his now-popular rendition of "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)".  As I sat (yes, sitting at a concert -- I told you I was a wreck! :)) in my seat, the song began just the same as the other ten thousand times I'd heard Amazing Grace.  

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now am found

Was blind, but now I see

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed

And there the similarities ended.  Most of you already know the punchline -- the song continues:

My chains are gone, I've been set free!

My God, my Savior, has ransomed me!
And like a flood, His mercy reigns

Unending love, amazing grace

By this point, I had been promoted from a sitting-wreck, to a standing-puddle.  Awesome, right?  I still remember the feeling of the extremely heavy weight of conviction as I read those words on the big screen. Conviction, why?  Because I realized that I had no idea what they were talking about.  The AWANA kid, multi-year Bible Quizzing Champion, winner of the five15 award, had no idea what it meant to be "free".  I knew the AWANA definition of "redemption", "grace", and "mercy" and could quote them to you word-perfect at the snap of a finger.  But I couldn't begin to tell you what it felt like to mercy, and unending love as amazing grace given personally to me as part of my redemption, bought by a personal Savior.  I had no idea what it meant to be "free".

(1) Freedom is bought.

The Lord has promised good to me

His word, my hope secures

...

For all of those who are in the Lord, our freedom has been purchased.   1 Cor 6:20 says, "For you were bought at a price."  Galations 3:13 says, "Christ has redeemed us...became the curse, and at the same time, dissolved the curse.  And because of that, the air is cleared." [The Message]  We are no longer bound to sin, we have been set free by the atoning blood of our Savior.  But what does it look like to realize this freedom?

Thailand still trains and uses elephants for a lot of construction and building, especially in the mountain regions.  When a young elephant begins its training, the trainers place a shackle around the elephant's leg and chain the elephant to the base of a strong tree.  For weeks or months, the elephant will remain chained there, continually pulling against its chain, trying to break free, while the shackle digs into the elephant's leg and leaves it bloodied and bruised, often cutting all the way to the bone and doing great damage and leaving many permanent scars.  Eventually, the elephant is too tired or injured to continue fighting its bondage, and it accepts its captivity.  The chain is removed, but the shackle remains on the elephant's leg.  In doing this, though the elephant is no longer chained to the tree, the trainers have successfully placed a shackle on the elephant's mind so that it continually believes it is still unable to escape and will only cause more hurt and pain if it tries.  A masterful plan, no? 

(2) Freedom is chosen.

...

He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

Jesus has purchased our freedom, and that promise is forever secure.  But what do we do with the freedom that is given to us?  Oh goodness, I could write a very long list of all the things I do with that freedom.  Refuse it on the basis of being unworthy, undeserving, not wanting to accept grace, having a better plan, wanting to try another way, and sometimes frankly not even wanting freedom, but preferring to live in bondage.  You see, that shackle around my mind led me to believe that getting out was "too hard" and "too painful" and "not worth it", or perhaps even "not possible".  All lies that had deep roots in my heart, and shackles on my mind and heart.

"Sometimes you have to decide to do the right thing because it's right, even if it's not "easy" and you "don't feel like it"."

Important truths spoken by a precious friend, at a time when God had prepared my heart to hear and act on them.  I spent decades (yes, saying that does make me feel old!) claiming that I was "waiting for my healing" and "waiting for my freedom", but these were more lies.  I was not "waiting" on anything, my freedom was waiting on me.  I was a free-man choosing to live as a slave, and the only person who could choose to live in freedom instead of bondage was myself.  No one else could do it for me.  John 8:34-36 says, "Most assuredly I say unto you, whoever commits sin is a slave [or in bondage] to sin.  A slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you are free, indeed!" 

The catch is that if you spend long enough in it, bondage becomes comfortable. It's familiar, it's temporarily satisfying, and it's "easier" to stay in than to work to climb out.  While getting out isn't as simple as a decision, it begins there.  It begins with deciding that rather than the chains and shackles that have become comfortable parts of life in bondage, I will choose to trust, "He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures" and walk in the freedom that was bought for me.  Oh, I wish I could tell you the rest was all downhill.  Not so!  But God didn't simply buy our freedom and leave us to figure out the rest.

The earth will soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine

But God who called me here below
Will be forever mine

As the above verse states, He promises to be "ours" and with us as we learn to walk in His freedom, even 'til the end of the earth.  

---

Fast forward four and a half years to today.  

My chains are gone, I've been set free!

My God, my Savior, has ransomed me!
And like a flood, His mercy reigns

Unending love, amazing grace!

I have been blessed to have the opportunity to attend a Chris Tomlin concert recently and, yes, I can now sing those words. :)  Through the mercy, grace, and unending faithfulness of my Savior, I stand today free from the chains of bondage, choosing daily to walk in the freedom that is mine, through Christ. God's word is true when He promises to "complete the good work He began" (Phil 1:6).  Corrie Ten Boom spoke beautifully true words when she said, "There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still."  That love is mighty enough to save even the most captive slaves and guide them gently to beautiful freedom, and it is my true joy to testify to this Truth for the rest of my life on this earth.  Unending love, amazing grace!

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