Liberty

Isolation.

Sometimes we become confided in the walls we've built around ourselves.
Walls built out of anger, pain, betrayal,
Or possibly be it pride or vanity.
But on all occasions there is a diligent intention to guard ourselves from something we see as opposing,
Something that stands as a threat towards us so we try to block all things relative to it.
For example, 
If Ella had a friend named Belle that betrayed her, it's most likely that she's going to make sure that doesn't happen again right?
But the flaws come in when instead of Ella confessing her upset out of love and talking things through with Belle, she decides to build up this wall of defence laid with bricks like bitterness, bricks like pain and bricks like anger,
And at this moment of time Belle doesn't even realise how much she's hurt Ella until she faces her resentful brick lain wall.
Ella's intentions were to prevent the possibilities of that betrayal occurring again, but what she's really done is entangled herself more with the yoke of bondage.
Now, around her is the brick lain wall of disgust, resentment, and anguish that she built herself to be set free from the betrayal, but as a result she's become captive of her own outrage.

So now that Ella's been imprisoned by her own fury, how then can she be set free?
Many of us are going through Ella's situation, but because these walls that some of us built as a line of defence turned out to be walls of hatred and seclusion, we almost don't even want to be set free.
However, we can't try to convince or justify ourselves that isolation will be able to save us from what we're trying to protect ourselves from, because by not seeking God we are infringing the freedom we have through Jesus Christ!

Now let's take it back and remember our position as Christians!
Are we not free from the guilt of sin because we have experienced God's forgiveness?
Are we not free from the penalty of death because Jesus died for us on the cross?
Through Jesus Christ we have been called to liberty, because God sent forth the Holy Spirit so that we are no longer a slave of sin but a son of God, therefore making us heirs of God through Jesus Christ.
We have no power of our own that is able to free ourselves from our sinful nature which is why we are in need of a saviour.
In John 8:32 (NKJV) it reads : "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
As we begin to know the truth we will learn about how much God values love towards one another, 
We begin to love each other as Christ loved us and we will be able to respect and grow with each other instead of conflict and dispute.
However, there is a personal accountability for us falling back into bondage which is when we become inconsistent with the Gospel and hearing from God, therefore we need to 'Stand fast' and make that effort and commitment to stay in this place of liberty and maintain our freedom with Christ.

God has given us freedom not to live selfishly, but to live to love and serve one another.
If we conform to the flesh, we'd expect others to conform to us and giving heed to our selfish desires,
But if we conform to the Spirit, we are operating on completely different principles to our One and utmost Master Jesus Christ, who gives us power and strength to conquer the flesh.


We must stand guard of our Christian liberty or else the world will continue to try and entice us from our salvation, therefore "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage" - Galatians 5:1

Love and Blessings,

Melissa-Ann Rose 

xx

Galatians 5:13

New King James Version (NKJV)

13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty;
only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh,
but through love serve one another.