Liberty is, in part, the absence of bondage.
How can we recognize bondage so we can cut the bonds and be truly free?

The root of bondage is can be seen as man’s inhumanity to man as described in Romans 1st and 2nd chapters.
That root took ground when Adam willingly chose to live by the guidance of that serpent in the garden rather than holding fast to the counsel of his Creator who made the garden. Same choice is available today for all who will believe. We can serve Mammon or we can serve God. You cannot serve both.

How many different forms of bondage can we see?
An ancient Roman slave chained to a ship’s oar is one example;
and ancient Egyptian slaves chained together as they pulled huge slabs of granite building the pyramids.

But the scope of bondage goes further, including vanquished people of Greece being used by victorious Romans to teach in Rome.

Many household slaves in Rome had been leaders in their homeland.
Their bondage did not have the visible evidence of chains around their ankles and wrists;
their bondage dictated where they might walk and what they might say.

As slaves go, these Grecians in Rome were pretty comfortable.
Like a pet dog in a kennel, they were fed and housed so long as they pleased their master.
Those who broke the rules got sent to the galley of ships or salt and copper mines.

In the name of setting people free, Lenin enslaved the Russian people.
Making them accept his ideas or face execution or slave labor camps or re-education camps.
Hitler applied similar tactics; murder and prison camps - all in the false name of freedom and liberty for people.

So to you as an individual, it is a great mark of liberty to have freedom to choose where you will live, what you will do, and words you say.
When government dictates your choices you are subject to that government.

Victor Frankel learned during the Nazi regime that he was free to make his own choices regardless of what the Nazis threatened. He only had to be willing to pay the price for his choice. The Nazis told him to renounce God or they would shoot him. Victor wrote a book to say he chose to proclaim God and he was willing to pay the price whatever it cost. That is liberty. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty. When a man through his faith towards God chooses to do what is right and good and helpful, that man is truly free.

Bondage takes many forms.
It need not be as obvious as chains on his ankles.
It can be through misguided beliefs and ignorance.
It can result from slothfulness and failure to keep watch.

On the wheat farms of Rome, people worked and the master reaped the benefits,
giving the workers only a place to sleep and some food to eat.

So who owns the fruits of a man’s labor?
Does the farmer own it? Does the government own it? Or does the man who labored own his labor?

Clearly the idea of ownership rises to our mind. The issue becomes who will define who owns?
History’s worst dictators acted as they (and their government) owned it all.
The Bible teaches private ownership and private responsibility.

Whose understanding will you seek? Will it be that of dictators like those of Egypt, Rome, and Lenin or Hitler, or that of God Almighty our Creator who endowed us with unalienable rights?

If you choose the latter, among those rights is the right to fair wages for our labor and the right to private ownership of property.

More examples are found in the historical stories as told by Moses and Abraham, and confirmed by the apostle Paul and Jesus; so let's look to the sons of Jacob as they came out of slavery in Egypt and see what we can learn.

Magnificent and helpful lessons can be learned from Joseph.
His brothers discussed murdering him; he was instead just sold into slavery so they could get rid of him. As a young man waking up to find himself in chains enslaved, he chose to keep his faith in God instead of angry rebellion or quiting in despair.

Joseph applied himself to good and helpful thoughts according to the faith teachings of his natural father, and God the Creator and Supreme Judge.
Consequently he traversed through several major life lessons and became responsible for feeding all of Egypt and his father’s people.

He was cast down from a high birth position in life, chained and imprisoned, and still grew to become the most significant and helpful man on earth during those times.
How? He held constant in his faith toward GOD.

After Joseph died, the people had become accustomed to looking towards the state for their welfare.
The Egyptians turned against the foreigners who worshiped the different God. The descendants of Jacob were forced into Egyptian labor camps.
The state mandated their labor, giving them nothing in return except meager food and a roof.

Four hundred years later, the Israelites were led out of Egypt by God working through Moses. The people spent forty years purifying their faith to trust and obey God; only then were they led into Canaan. They had traversed the desert of bondage and entered into the oasis of opportunity. Here they had their own choice to make, whether they would work and make a life for themselves, working hard for themselves. The question becomes who will choose to do on his own, what otherwise requires a whip and chains to make them work. Those who are diligent can expect to eat the fruit of their fields. The slothful will see desolation. But they have their own choice to make on these matters.

Whether it was the British chaining Americans to the British navy ships unlawfully
or the Romans chaining conquered people to their war ships, the situation is the same.
Governments should not take what belongs to the individual, except by the consent of the people.

The hearts of kings and all rulers are in the hand of God and He turns them whichever way He wills.
So Joseph rose to the top, like cream out of the milk, for his good and diligent working gave him favor with those in authority.
Scripture teaches a man who is faithful and diligent and skilled in his works shall be noticed and promoted by authorities; whether in local business or government affairs.

Scripture also explains that people are destroyed for their lack of knowledge, and that nations who mock God shall be mocked by Him.
Those who uphold the things of God and proclaim “The Lord Is Our Salvation” shall be upheld by Him.
Joseph did this during his afflictions and held on to his faith towards God.

To serve and seek God is to walk on the path way of life and light that leads unto righteousness and a more abundant life. (See John 10:10) If Joseph had given up his faith; if he had cursed God and turned bitter then the story would have been different. But Joseph gave us an example that we should learn and follow. Keeping our eyes on Christ Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith; walk towards the light while we have the light, as we are transformed from glory unto glory into His image. The Lord’s mercies are new every morning, on the just and the unjust. On the wicked and the righteous, the makes the sun shine and the rains water; and those who seek Him shall be found by Him, and those who lay down their lives for the brethren shall see His salvation. Jesus said, The Father loves Me because I lay down my life for the brethren. How much more ought we to do like-wise?

Shall we stand around saying, “Canaan land, give me fruit; for I was a slave in Egypt four hundred years ago and I have not the skills to produce good fruit?” Or shall we instead, be transformed by the renewing of our minds with faith towards God and repentance from dead works, and go forth diligently plowing, planting, and watering that we may also enjoy the fruit of our labors?

Liberty is not only determined by whether we wear shackles, it is also determined by what we learn to think and believe and choose and act. True liberty is only by the Truth of God. Jesus the Christ told us clearly ... He said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

The chains and tangled knots of the mind are much more to be cut asunder than just the shackles of the flesh; this is true for us all.
Many who wear no shackles are still bound by wrong thinking in their mind.
Let us be free of all chains, both mind and body, through the knowledge of Him and the understanding of His Word. Do unto your neighbor as you would have Him do unto you. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Love one another and the God of peace will be with you.

Ultimately, we are either slaves to sin, or servants to God. There is no other choice.

Either we know the Truth of God and are set free, or we are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Jesus also gave us, “You shall know the truth, and the Truth shall make you free.” His truth cuts asunder all the chains of captivity.

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