Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:8 KJV

For love is the fulfillment of the Law.  This is the road to freedom, owing no man anything.

Once we have settled it in our hearts that we serve only the Christ, His Spirit, and once we have established Him alone as the source of life, freedom comes as we give it.

A man once said another one had a love debt–a level of love that was unmet within the heart.  But, among all the other remedies, the greatest was simpy to forgive our debtors, that Christ might forgive me.

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It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1 NASB

Slavery comes in all forms.  And, sometimes, they are the most well-seeming ones.  But, first, let us study freedom.

But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

Matthew 23:8-12 NASB

Freedom looks like being free.  And, with that freedom comes responsibility.  No one can be free unless he chooses to subject himself to some form of self-restraint.  Any man would quickly ruin himself if he only chose what seemed right in the moment.

But, God gave us freedom to free us from the law of sin, so that we might obey the law of life and liberty in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2).

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For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.

Mark 8:35

If this life is about giving it all away, then the pathway many of us must first take is to take ownership of that which is ours.

It may seem counter-intuitive at first, to have to take possession of something, only with the intent to then lose it, but unless you take ownership of something, unless you decide that something is your right to do whatever you please with it, you will never have the authority to release that authority to whomever you choose.

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And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them:

Deuteronomy 7:2

After hundreds of years of slavery, who wouldn’t want want to feel a little more secure?  After wave after wave of persecution, what normal person wouldn’t want to take every precaution to make sure that they are not overthrown again, and not dragged back into slavery?

But, God’s had a plan, namely Himself.  To the eye of man, allies are a good thing.  To Jesus, they are merely barbs, hooks, and thorns in the flesh.

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