Concerning Jesus and organized religion who rejected Him, it is written:

So we must go to Him outside the camp and endure the insults He endured. (Hebrews 13 verse 13)

When the Holy Spirit first called us to “flee Babylon”, I remember asking “who or what is Babylon?” It was nearly 2 years before we understood enough of what the Lord had shown us to hear and obey His call to leave man’s Laodicean church and to join Him outside the camp where He was waiting for us .

The ensuing years were humbling and wonderful as Jesus taught us through the Holy Spirit, corrected and freed us from the manipulative and errant doctrines of men, and led us into home-based fellowship with a few believers. When we retired, the Lord called us to move back to the Pacific Northwest where He led us to attend a small country church. We had visited them 6 months earlier while staying with my father and found the people to be warm and friendly and we looked forward to their fellowship.

Unbeknownst to us, during the 6 months it took to sell our home and move, the church was swept up in scandal and underwent major changes in leadership. When we arrived that fall, the sweet aroma of Christ-centered teaching and fellowship was no more and that “new church smell” quickly gave way to the noxious odors of tradition-bound religion and pastor dominated service. Grieved beyond words we fled the church and returned to that wonderful spacious place of freedom in Christ we love so well. We have no regrets about our time in the small country church for we met several believers and the many heart-rending experiences there served to rekindle my passion for writing.

About that, I once told a friend “ever since the Lord brought me to a place of peace and contentment, my writing has come to a halt.” With a laugh I mused “perhaps I should stir up some trouble for myself.” In my experience it’s the trials and tribulations that lead to growth. And that wonderful place of peace and contentment? It’s just a rest stop along the path the Lord has mapped out for me.

More often than not, enlightenment comes when the Lord tosses me into the fray and I cry out to Him for help. Silly man that I am, sometimes my troubles are of my own making, like the fallout from asking an honest but socially impertinent question. Perhaps it’s a character defect, but it’s difficult for me to resist asking such questions, if only to provoke an honest examination of the falsehoods people embrace. Walking with the Lord I’ve come to love the truth and have little patience for pretense and falsehood. Though still somewhat uncomfortable for me as a recovering people pleaser, I try to practice speaking the truth in love. Hence, asking questions that I know will get me lumped.

For example, the very first Sunday we attended the small country church the new pastor announced a local men’s conference and asked if any of us wanted to attend. The advertisement handed out with the bulletin that morning said pastors were admitted for FREE while everyone else had to pay $30. I found the double standard off putting and decided the conference wasn’t for me.

Ironically, the pastor’s sermon that morning focused on our identity as Sons of God in Christ during which the pastor read from Matthew 17 verse 26 where Jesus proclaimed “The Sons are FREE!”. I vaguely recall muttering to myself “unless it’s a men’s conference where only the pastors are free. The rest of us have to cough up 30 bucks”.

Note to self: muttering may be another one of my character defects.

When the service was over I shook the pastors hand on the way out and remarked “if you’re not careful, you’ll preach yourself into a corner.”

The pastor replied “how so?”

“You said the Sons are free, but I have to pay $30 to get into the conference that you get into for free. So, are only pastors free sons, or are all of us free sons?”

He laughed but offered no reply.

Obviously it was time for one of my impertinent questions.

“What would you think if I sent in my registration form and on it wrote ‘The Sons are FREE’?”

Again he laughed and said “good luck with that.”

It was a light-hearted albeit awkward moment, intended to highlight a Biblical truth rarely embraced by the “Church, Inc.” Were that the extent of untruth we Christians embrace in lieu of Biblical truth, I wouldn’t be terribly bothered. Sadly however, that’s just one of countless ways in which we Christians ignore scripture and embrace a lie instead.

About the freedoms of the Sons of God, the Bible says:

When they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?” Peter replied “Yes.” When he entered the house where Jesus was, He asked “What do you think, Peter? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” He answered, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.” (Matthew 17:24-26)

About the temple tax, Barnes commentary says “The double drachma tax was paid for use of the temple and services.” Therefore, when Jesus said “the Sons are Free” He meant that the Sons are not obligated to pay for a temple and religious services.

So is it not strange, deceptive even, to preach “the Sons are Free”, yet on concluding the sermon take up an offering for the church building and religious services? Are we free like Jesus said, or not?

Christ has freed us so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. Therefore, be firm in this freedom, and don’t become slaves again. (Galatians chapter 5 verse 1)

Friends, it is time we inventoried the many benefits of freedom in Christ, to take possession of them and to stand fast against those who seek to profit from our reluctance to make use of our benefits.

Freedom is what Jesus wants for us. Our freedom is what Jesus died for.

Therefore, honor Jesus by walking in your freedom.