You’re Free To GO!

You’re FREE to go!

Have you ever been in a situation where a meeting was concluded with an authority figure declaring to you your             FREEDEOM to go?  I’ve never been in a situation where that meant anything other than my dismissal.  It is a meaningless phrase to utter unless and until being a person of some authority.  It carries the strong implication I am in a place, at a time, before a person of authority that is under their control.  I am, in those situations, within the realm of another’s ‘domain’.

Now, if it has been declared I have my freedom restored to exit the situation there is the further implication my freedom to return is limited to having permission to return.  In a court of law witnesses are called to testify, under oath, relating their personal knowledge regarding the questions asked of them.  When their testimony is finished and cross-examination is finished the witness remains in place until the ‘judge’ permits their exit.  They are ‘free’ to exit the witness chair and, most probably, the courtroom.  It is very clear upon their dismissal they are NOT free to return unless and until they are CALLED AGAIN for more testimony.

God has allowed every human ever born on the face of the earth to account for their sins.  This word ‘sin’ carries with it a diagnosed condition going well beyond our misdeeds.  Jesus declared two very basic facts regarding our accountability to His Father we must understand.  One is His description of our primary work assignment within our relationship between creature (all of us as humans) and creator (The Lord God Almighty – only).  Someone asked Jesus the specific question what they must do to ‘work the works of God’ and his answer was astonishing.  He told them explicitly the nature of their assignment: ‘Believe on the One (Himself) whom He (the Father) has sent.  (John 6:28 & 29)  That fact was re-iterated by Jesus when He began explicitly preparing His disciples for His exit from earth (His ascension).  Jesus prepared them for an even greater relationship by promising He would ‘send’ a comforter in the form of ‘the Holy Spirit’.  He went on to explain to them the agenda of the Holy Spirit.  ‘When He comes He will convict men of sin, of righteousness and judgment.’  He further explained the terms and conditions of each phase of the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  Now, keep in mind, a conviction is not necessarily a condemnation.  It simply means the facts of my sinfulness, the fact of my righteousness and the fact of my judgment are so convincing as to be irrefutable.  Meet the Holy Spirit.  He is the one ‘convincing’ you of how you (we) relate to God within the context of those three arenas – sin, righteousness and judgment.

Jesus continues with the subject of the Holy Spirit and His assigned agenda one issue at a time:

SIN:    This will surprise you.  Holy Spirit convinces men of sin – that God has an ongoing issue with their sinful condition – on the singular basis of whether or not they have entered into agreement that God has provided their forgiveness and cleansing of sin by the sacrifice of the only perfect and sinless human specimen to ever live on the earth – Jesus.  This carries the greater implication His death, His burial and His resurrection was all done as me – on my behalf – and the effectiveness of Jesus’ work is effective in me the moment I come into agreement with it and step into the ensuing transformation that always occurs when we enter into that agreement.

RIGHTEOUSNESS:  Again, we have a surprise here.  It is the agenda of the Holy Spirit to convince men of the righteousness that is their own because ‘I go to the Father’.and ‘you will see me no longer’.  The surprising element of this explanation is that it brings up the question of how Him appearing before The Father and how being outside of our physical sight has anything to do with our righteousness.  The first thing we must understand that there is and can be no right standing (righteousness) between any man and God except between Jesus, the only begotten son of God, the Christ of God, the King of kings and the Lord of lords and His Father.  Scripture establishes as fact an agreement (decision) within the trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) that the Son would ‘become flesh’ dwell among men and be THE fit sacrifice atoning for the sins of all men of all time.  Jesus return to the Father post His virgin birth, His flawless life, His miraculous ministry, His death, His burial, His resurrection and His ascension means everything to you and to me.  It was ‘mission accomplished’ day and decree and celebration.  Sin, and death, and satan were confronted by God – God (Jesus) won, case closed.

JUDGMENT:  This one is explained succinctly, forthrightly and completely in the declaration that condemnation has been declared and demonstrated on satan, the kingdom of satan, the followers of satan and the entire environment satan seeks to establish on earth.  It is not our judgment.  We are convinced and convicted of the judgment GOD has made.  When we are convinced to enter into agreement with Jesus life and work on earth on our behalf – as you and me – we have entered into this victory over and against judgment.  When we continue on with God and we walk in, rejoice in and LIVE in the rest He provides by having done all the work – mission accomplished – we have access to the paths and ways and the reality of the kingdom of God on earth where His will is done HERE the same way it is done THERE – in heaven.

See it all in your own Bible: John 16:7-11.  Now, if you have a King James Version you will not see in verse 8 the words ‘convince and convict’.  Rather, you will see the word ‘reprove’.  While both carry the same meaning the word ‘reprove’ allows us to recognize the Holy Spirit is confronting our fallacious assessments of sin, of righteousness and of judgment.  To be ‘reproved’ is to insist we acknowledge our ‘differences’.  Going further, when we are convinced beyond rational doubt we are then compelled to abandon error and embrace truth.

There will be a companion piece later regarding being ‘free to go’ that will highlight where we left and where we go.  In the meantime – check in with Holy Spirit.