Seeking gives Freedom
It is ironic that from the world’s perspective the Christian is in bondage when the true bondage comes from sin. In fact, we are all either under bondage to righteousness or to sin. The Bible explains in Romans 6:20-22
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
Romans 6:17-18 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
The difference is with our master. Those who are under sin have a heartless and cruel master that seeks to oppress, entangle and destroy while we who belong to Christ have a compassionate master who states the following:
Matthew 11:28-30 28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Rather than having a master who lords over us, we have a Lord who labors with us. A
yoke is a harness used to join two oxen together. It is a wooden device contoured to fit around both oxen to prepare them for laboring in the field. The picture Christ is presenting is that we are yoked together with Him. Rather than carrying a heavy burden, we are joined to Him and since all strength belongs to Him, our burden becomes light. Keep in mind that Jesus is calling out to those who are under the heavy burden of the world. He calls those who are weighed down with the cares of this world to come and find rest in Him. Only in Christ can we both labor and find rest for our souls.
Those who are slaves to righteousness are bond-slaves. A bond-slave is someone who is a slave by choice. In the Old Testament, slavery was usually the result of a debt owed. When someone could not pay their debt, they were required to pay off that debt by laboring for their creditor. When the time was fulfilled that they were to be free, if a slave loved his master, determined that their master was good and the benefits were worth the labor, they could choose to become a permanent bond-slave. A ceremony would be performed where the ear of the bond-slave was pierced with an awl on the door of the house and they received a ring that signified that they had submitted to the master of the house in service.
This illustrates the difference between becoming a slave of sin and a slave of righteousness. God does not enslave but calls for us to submit. All the promises of God reveal to us the benefit only found in our Master’s house and we who have been set free from sin, submit ourselves to Jesus Christ and become bond-servants – slaves by choice.
The same is not true of becoming a slave of sin. Satan does not care about our good and has no compassion on us. He seeks to entangle, oppress, destroy and deceive. Sin always looks enticing on the surface but in reality it is a bait for the shackles of oppression. A bond-slave is never shackled but those oppressed must be shackled to prevent escape. This is why Jesus made so much of the fact that He has come to set at liberty those who are captives. Have you ever heard a drug addict rejoice in their drug use at the end of their lives? How many joyful thieves or prostitutes do you know? How many of those oppressed began with the decision to fall into bondage?
Several years back, Barbara Walters interviewed an adult film star on 20/20. The pain was clearly seen in her eyes but she kept a smile on her face. During one question, she gave an answer that was obviously painful and filled with remorse, yet she kept smiling. As she smiled, tears began to trickle down her cheeks. Barbara asked why she always smiled even when it was clear she was not happy. The woman stated that she had to keep her front going so that no one could see the pain that filled her life.
Here is a woman whose job it is to make men believe that sin is fun and make it look harmless and inviting, yet she was in such bondage that she did not even feel free to be herself. This is exactly what the Bible is warning us about. Sin is bondage. The deception makes it look like freedom and pleasure – and for a short time it is. Just beyond the brief pleasure there is bondage and oppression. The message of the gospel is that Jesus Christ has come to set all men and women free. We then seek the righteousness of God and willingly become slaves to righteousness.
Legalism can be just as oppressive as bondage – in fact, it is bondage. Obedience to God and legalism is not the same. We obey from the heart out of a desire to know God better and to lead others into that same walk. Legalism is seeking to control others by rules. We don’t control others but do as God does – call them to obedience. Obedience has to come out of our desires of the heart or it is worthless.
The reason people don’t obey is that they either do not value the things of God or they do not understand the things of God. Discipleship is the process of teaching others the doctrines of the scripture and revealing the goodness of God with the hope that they will also see and desire these things. We become disciplers (or mentors) by teaching the things of God by our words and actions. We become disciples by seeking and obeying the things of God. Look at John 8:31-32
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
We must seek God through His word and abide in it in order to know the truth. Knowing is not the complete story – we must abide in His word. Abiding means that it is part of our daily lives. We abide by letting go of the things of this life and search out the things of God. We cannot hold on to our old ways and abide in the Word. Look at the following passage from Luke:
Luke 14:33 33 "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
Some look at this as a harsh statement but the truth of this is plainly seen if we stop and consider what is being taught. The world and the things of the world are opposed to God (See 1 John 2:15-17). It is impossible to abide in Christ and the Word of God if we are being pulled away and have a divided interest. This goes back to the basic passage that we have all heard from Matthew 6:33
33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
In this passage, Jesus is giving us the promise that He will meet our physical needs but the Bible also promises that we will be blessed by God. I believe God longs to give us good things but I also know that God will not permit these things to become our focus. If wealth, health and prosperity is the focus of our life, we do not care about the things of God. We all want these things but the disciple of Christ forsakes all and trusts God to meet our needs and bless us according to His will. Many have suffered persecution throughout the years from the time of the apostles until now and have not inherited any wealth. In fact, Christians are praised in Hebrews 10:34 for joyfully accepting the plundering of their possessions. They did not receive abundance but in stead they were plundered. Even today Christians around the globe are stripped of all rights and property if they profess the name of Christ.
Are these who have lost all for the cause of Christ outside of God’s promises? If someone is plundered because their government is hostile to Christ, does this mean that they lack faith or will miss God’s blessings? It is quite the opposite. Jesus said that those who have lost family or possessions for His sake will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life. In Luke 6:24 Jesus said that those who are rich in this life have already received their consolation and those who never received in this life will obtain a better resurrection. Look at Hebrews 11:35-39
35 Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented -- 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,
Some of those who are our examples of faith did not receive the promise on this side but will receive a greater promise later. Not everyone will see God’s abundance in this life and those who suffer in faith do so looking ahead to the promise yet to be received. The most important thing is that we as Christians seek God’s purpose in faith. I believe God is good and that His promises are sure; therefore, I will walk in faith whether I see the promise now or look for the promise on the other side of eternity.
Those who seek the promise miss the true reward. God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him – not what is in his hand. The promise is my encouragement to persevere, but the thing I seek is the Lord. The Psalms explains:
Psalm 119:45-49 45 And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts. 46 I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, And will not be ashamed. 47 And I will delight myself in Your commandments, Which I love. 48 My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, Which I love, And I will meditate on Your statutes. 49 Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope.
Psalm 146:5-9 5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God, 6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, 7 Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners. 8 The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous. 9 The LORD watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.
Freedom is to those who seek. Seeking pleasures leads to oppression but seeking righteousness leads to freedom and peace. While God’s promises provide encouragement, it is His face that we seek. He must be the focus above all else.
Seeking gives understanding
Our understanding comes from above if we are truly seeking God and applying His word to our hearts. Look at this wonderful passage from Proverbs 22:17-19
17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your heart to my knowledge; 18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; Let them all be fixed upon your lips, 19 So that your trust may be in the LORD; I have instructed you today, even you.
We must listen to wisdom and apply our heart to knowledge. Knowledge is knowing the Word of God and we cannot know the word without taking time to search out the treasures of the word. We seek the knowledge of God by preparing our hearts to seek God, searching out His word, applying His word and learning from those who show wisdom. Many claim to be wise but those who are truly wise seek the Lord and honor all of His word without mixing it with the world or selfish human philosophy. The wise teach the word and nothing else. To be wise, we receive the word and apply it to our hearts. God will fit it into our lips as we apply it to our lives. Wisdom comes from God alone. Look at John 5:30
"I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
We gain understanding and good judgment by seeking the will of God. He has already revealed these things through His word. Are you seeking your own will? Most of us do and blind ourselves to this fact. I don’t serve God by presenting my plan to God and assuming this is His will. God has already planned my path and prepared my work beforehand that I should walk in it (see Eph 2:10 and Psalm 139). One of the great mysteries of Christianity is finding the will of God. The reason this task is a mystery is because we are approaching this from the wrong perspective. We need to forget about finding the will of God and set our hearts on finding the heart of God. As we seek Him, He will reveal His plan to us. The answer to God’s will is found in Jeremiah 33:3
’Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
God reveals Himself and the secret things of God to those who call to Him and diligently seek Him. Observe these two powerful passages:
Psalm 25:12-14 12 Who is the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. 13 He himself shall dwell in prosperity, And his descendants shall inherit the earth. 14 The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.
Proverbs 3:32 32 For the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD, But His secret counsel is with the upright.
God’s secrets are revealed to those who fear Him and seek Him. The Bible warns that there is a way that seems right to a man but leads to death. We don’t determine what is right by our feelings or desires, it must be revealed by God through His word. The scripture teaches us that the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked and truth can only be revealed by God (see Jeremiah 17:5-10). We fear God by keeping His word, honoring Him and His word and seeking His ways. God will always reveal His ways to those who seek. Look at Isaiah 55:6-9
6 Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8 " For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
This all centers around seeking the Lord. We seek the Lord and call upon Him and God promises to reveal Himself, show us the things we do not know and to understand the ways of God. This is not private revelation but the revelation of what has already been spoken by God. The secret things of God are hidden in plain sight. The veil is not over the truth, but over the hearts of men. When we seek God, He removes the veil so that we can see the things of God (see 2 Corinthians 3:16). Understanding is to those who turn to God and seek Him. God then opens our eyes to see and our hearts to understand. Look at Proverbs 28:4-6
4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But such as keep the law contend with them. 5 Evil men do not understand justice, But those who seek the LORD understand all. 6 Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.
Understanding, wisdom and all good things come from God. There is a worldly wisdom that is foolishness with God and leads to death and the wisdom of God is considered foolishness to the world. If you keep the word of God you will find yourself contending with those who do not. This is true in the world and unfortunately it is also true in the church. It is the responsibility of the believer to stand firm where God instructs us to stand firm even if this means we stand alone.
Seeking Protects from Judgment
God will judge both in this life and the life to come. The Christian will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account for our works (see Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Luke 12:42-48) and the unbeliever will be judged for their sins at the Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). There is also judgment in this life. The scripture warns that in the last days, the church will turn away from the faith and follow worldly philosophies. At that time, God will begin His judgment against the world; however, God will begin by bringing judgment against the church (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and 1 Peter 4:17-19). Even so, God still gives promises for the faithful. Look at Zephaniah 2:3
Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the LORD’s anger.
Throughout history, the righteous have always suffered persecution. Don’t mistake persecution for judgment. Jesus foretold that all who live godly will suffer persecution. As faithful Christians we endure all things knowing that God has the power to sustain us and deliver us. No one has power unless it is given from above; therefore, we endure knowing that God has permitted our trials for our good. The reason people struggle so much with hardship is that they are looking for hope in this life only. We don’t find deliverance by getting out of difficult circumstances but by seeking God in our circumstances. Look again at Psalm 27:8-11
8 When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek." 9 Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me. 11 Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
This should be our prayer. We don’t say, ‘God why’ but ‘God you are my help’. Through hardship God teaches us His way. Our ultimate goal is to conform to Christ. To escape hardship or lavish ourselves in prosperity is worthless in eternity but to let God teach us His way and use our enemies to be led into the right path is eternally valuable. Sometimes God uses hardship to shape our character and sometimes God uses hardship to show us His power to deliver. Look at Psalm 91:14-16
14 "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation."
God is always with us in trouble. Sometimes He uses the fire to refine us and other times He uses trouble to deliver and honor us so that we see His salvation. Either way we have the promise that God prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies. There is a rest to those who seek Him.
Seeking Leads to Obedience
One of the great challenges of the Christian life is that of obedience. We live in the real world and the world is constantly pulling us away. In Matthew 13, Jesus tells a parable about a sower who puts forth the word of God. Jesus provides four responses to the word of God. Some will hear and not understand; some will receive the word with joy but will be offended when trouble arises, he will loose heart and turn from the truth. Some will receive the word but then allow the cares of this life to choke the word so that they are unfruitful. Finally, there are those who receive the word, understand and obey it. They become fruitful Christians (Matthew 13:19-23).
The majority of church members live life in a choked state. It is very, very difficult to avoid allowing the cares of this life to choke the word in your life. The cares of this life can be the things we count as blessings or the challenges that demand our attention. This even goes for those who busy their lives with church activities. Seeking the Lord and living according to His purposes must be our highest priority. Entertainment, hobbies and other activities can choke the word. While these are not bad in themselves, they become a choking hazard if they have a high priority. I have heard many Christians say that they do not have time in their busy lives spend to time with God, yet they seem to find time to unwind in front of the TV for a couple of hours each night.
As we saw earlier, we must prepare our hearts to seek the Lord. If we do not make the word and prayer a priority, it will not happen. We all need to take time to unwind but in our modern culture, entertainment is the highest priority. I personally know people who cannot afford to buy groceries or pay bills but they have an entertainment package that costs $100 a month. We prioritize our life around the things that are the most important to us. TV robs most people of time with God while at the same time filtering worldly values into their minds. These things choke the word and make a Christian’s life unfruitful.
Things beyond our control can also choke the word. The deceitfulness of material wealth AND the cares of this life choke the word. Problems in life can create a barrier to our time with God if we allow them to dominate our attention. As I know from personal experience, problems at work and demands from a career can be a choking hazard in the life of a believer. Sometimes we must stop and look at our problems from a godly perspective. Ask yourself, how will this affect my life from an eternal perspective? After this life is over, will I care how this turned out? Does my career goals work along side of my spiritual goals or are the demands so high that I must neglect my time needed to seek God and His word to accomplish these goals?
We can all justify our actions. The question to ask is not, “What is wrong with it?” but “Is it right and is it God’s best for my life?” I have been greatly benefited by realizing that some of my ‘big problems’ are meaningless. If the wrongs done to me have no eternal impact, why do I worry about their outcome? It is truly a matter of faith. Do I believe that God has foreordained my path or not? Do I believe that all things work together for my eternal good or not? Do I believe the scripture’s claim that “if God is for us, who can be against us?” What about the Bible’s claims that no power can be against us unless it is given from above? (See John 19:11, Romans 13:1-2, Romans 9:17). If all our circumstances are ordained by God, all those who have power over us received it from God and all things work for our good to conform us to Christ, why do we allow the cares of this life to choke our Christian walk? The problem is that our perspective is wrong and will always be wrong unless we take time to seek out the good things of God. Look at these passages from Psalm 119:
Psalm 119:1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the LORD! 2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart! 3 They also do no iniquity; They walk in His ways. 4 You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently.
…
9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! 12 Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes! 13 With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth. 14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. 16 I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. 17 Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word. 18 Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.
What a wonderful passage. Psalm 119 is the longest book in the Bible and is filled with great advice for Christian living. We are cleansed by His word. Through seeking God, we keep His word and do not wander from His commandments. Through the word, God teaches us His statutes that lead us to obedience and the true blessings of God. We must seek out the word, meditate on what God has said and contemplate how we apply this to our lives. God is sought through His word first and then we are able to pray and obey based on the Word that has been revealed to us.
Seeking gives God’s blessing
You may notice that God stresses over and over the fact many blessings are given to those who obey. We are blessed in this life and even more so in the life to come. Blessings come to the Christian when we seek God – not when we seek the blessing. We are filled with His Spirit when we empty ourselves of our self-centered motives and the things that choke our lives and seek God and His ways. There is a counterfeit filling that many seek who only are interested in gaining a feeling and there is a true filling for those who seek the true things of God. We must seek God, not our selfish desires. A good example of this principle is found in the life of King Solomon. The Bible says that Solomon loved the Lord and walked in His ways and when he first became king, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked what he desired that God give him. Solomon recognized that he needed God’s help to lead God’s people. He acknowledged that King David was a great leader because he walked in righteousness and obedience to God; therefore Solomon asked that the Lord would give him an understanding heart so he could lead the people to know good and evil. Notice God’s response in 1 Kings 3:11-14
11 Then God said to him: "Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, 12 "behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. 13 "And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. 14 "So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days."
God blessed Solomon with the things he didn’t ask for because he sought the right things of God. Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you. How does God’s declaration to Solomon compare to what most are teaching today? Today we are taught to seek prosperity and ask God for our selfish desires. We should be setting our heart to know the things of God and trust God that He will bless us with good things for us to enjoy. Our hearts prayer should be “Lord teach us to have an understanding heart and teach us to discern justice”. Nothing else matters. If we are blessed with great wealth and honor, so be it but let us seek to use all things for God’s kingdom. If we are appointed to suffer for the kingdom and our inheritance is never seen in this life, let us seek the kingdom of God and rejoice knowing that we are given the greater inheritance.
Do not seek wealth, honor and the things of this life. They will all pass and those who invest their lives in these things will stand empty-handed. Search the scriptures with a heart that longs to know the deep things of God, a desire for understanding, and the desire to know justice. God will reveal these things to those who seek. We seek by preparing our heart to seek the Lord as Solomon did and seek Him with our whole heart. God has revealed truth to us in His word. Without understanding the word of God, you will not be able to walk with God on a deep level. God honors those who seek Him. Look also at 2 Chronicles 31:20-21
20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God. 21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.
Why did Hezekiah prosper? It was not because he sought prosperity but because he sought the things of God. The world tells us that if we follow God we will miss out on many pleasures and good things; however, this is the same world filled with pain, suffering and the consequences of sin. People run from relationship to relationship, pleasure to pleasure, religion to religion seeking something that will satisfy. The Scriptures provide a simple answer that is rich in meaning. Look at Psalm 34:9-10
9 Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. 10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
I have never met someone who served God with their whole life and expressed regret. Can we say the same for America’s golden children in Hollywood? There is no glamour in the world’s eyes when we seek the Lord, but the true riches are found there. God has a river of pleasure that is only found under the shadow of His wings and is given to those who trust Him (Psalm 36:7-9). Let’s close with the words of Christ found in Matthew 6:33-34
33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
I have so many other rich passages that time does not permit us to go through. Take some time and read through these passages below. How good the Lord is to those who seek Him. As God said to Abraham, “I am your exceedingly great reward”. If God is your reward, you are truly blessed!
Recommended scriptures:
Some of these scriptures I used in this study and some were not used. These are great passages and I recommend reading these and meditating on them:
Hebrews 11:6
Psalm 119:1-4
Psalm 119:45-49
Proverbs 28:4-6
Isaiah 55:6-9
Jeremiah 29:13
Zephaniah 2:3
Matthew 6:33-34
Mark 8:11-12
Luke 11:9-13
Luke 12:29-31
John 5:30
John 5:43-44
Romans 9:30-33
Colossians 3:1-4
Deuteronomy 4:29
1 Chronicles 28:8-9
2 Chronicles 7:14
2 Chronicles 12:14
2 Chronicles 15:2
2 Chronicles 31:20-21
Psalm 9:7-10
Psalm 14:2-3
Psalm 27:8-14
Psalm 34:9-10
Psalm 105:3-4
