freedom

In last week’s post we explored how God intended for His people Israel to enjoy success in the Promised Land. By obeying His Word, they’d show their commitment to the covenant God established with them. As a result, the Lord would bless the nation; they’d succeed in everything they did.

But the Israelites failed to stick with His ordinances. They doubted God’s abilities and got tempted to placate other gods to meet their needs (and wants). The Lord had to punish His people for these infractions, but He also wanted to redeem them.

So He promised them a new covenant. Like the first one, it, too, would involve the Scriptures, but with a difference. Now, God would write His laws on the hearts of His people. And this would foster obedience from within. 

God established this new covenant through His Son. Jesus fulfilled the dictates of the first covenant in two ways. First, He never sinned; Christ kept God’s Word to perfection. Second, He died on the cross to pay the price for our failure to live up to God’s standards.

But He went further! God raised Jesus from the dead and through the Spirit, that new life is now available to us. Praise God, that’s how we receive the new covenant!

So what role does the Word play in the kingdom of God? Within the old covenant, obedience to Scripture created the conditions for a successful life in the Promised Land. The new covenant also makes blessings available to those who follow the Word. Here are two examples.

First, Jesus promises freedom for those who dedicate themselves to His teaching.

“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” – John 8:31-32 (NASB)

There’s freedom for the believer! But it comes at a cost–the cost of continuing in Christ’s words. Neglect the truth, and the joy of following Jesus will fade. Arguments against biblical precepts will begin to emerge, driving a wedge between the disciple and the Lord. The enemy will see to it; that’s his mission. 

Our fallen human nature dislikes the demands of the gospel, so we will find ourselves questioning its validity. It’s one thing to start following Jesus; it’s another to stay with Him! But when we decide to allow the Word, now written in our hearts, to determine our course, God will honor us with deliverance. Our grasp of His kingdom will widen and we will discover how comprehensive His ways are.

Second, the Word of God provides rest for those who submit themselves to its discipline.

“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; ¹⁰for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. ¹¹Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. ¹²For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. ¹³Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” – Hebrews 4:9-13

After working all day, we look forward to kicking back and relaxing. And why not? We deserve the break after how we exhausted ourselves in our labors.

God knows His people need rest; we can’t serve Him 24/7 non-stop. But sometimes we want to rest when we shouldn’t. When the Word of the Lord exposes and addresses areas in our hearts that have to change, it’s natural for us to resist. But we shouldn’t. We’re only prolonging the rest God wants to give us. The Holy Spirit will use the Word to train us like a coach uses a playbook and a stopwatch to correct athletes.

In God’s eyes, we’re spiritual athletes! And if we want to win the prizes that Jesus has for us, we must cooperate with His workouts and drills. When they achieve their purpose, we can rest. When we realize our potential in Christ, that God the coach saw all along, we can let up.

Like the Old Testament saints, Christians have the call of God to obey His Word. That it’s now written on our hearts means it can touch the deepest parts of our being. We have the privilege of undergoing the Father’s Bible-based discipline so we can grow in being like Jesus. And He crowns our successful efforts with freedom and rest.

Let’s never neglect the Word. Our spiritual lives depend on it!