The free man

Who is free? Is freedom based on whether you walk around with phyiscal chains or handcuffs? No! A man in prison can be more free than a king upon his throne. A man in prison can be at peace, while a monarch upon his throne is a slave to fear, appearances, his court, concubines etc.. Sometimes a physical prison is the greatest place of freedom. A man who was a slave to drugs may find himself free from it in the prison after having had time to regain his mind, his manhood. He could have been a slave to ambition, but the prison slowed him down, giving him time to reflect. The prison has become his intellectual palace, a place of deep reflection and introspection. God will, in life, use different prisons in order to set us free. The prison of a sickness, of a loss of relationship, loss of a job, are sometimes the best schools towards freedom, while the palace of a relationship, of a high paying job can be the worse bondage. The free man is the one who has time for introspection.

Malcolm Ex was physically freed in his youth, but he was a slave to drugs, women and vice. He was a slave to the condition many blacks found themselves in those days: deprived of economic opportunities. But in prison, he became mentally freed. He escaped the chains that had degraded his manhood and became an intellectual voice for liberation in the struggle of the blacks. Prison opened his eyes to his condition. Introspection and learning of religion exposed some of the invisible chains that held him fast. The prison was to him an intellectual library and a place of liberation. As a matter of fact, he had access to great books while in the prison, books he would have never thought to read while physically freed and drugged out. He learn to debate, increased his vocabulary; The prison freed his intellectual self. The prison saved Malcolm from himself. He was no longer a slave to fast money (the hustle), women, drugs and aimlessly drifting through life. He became a man focused, driven and on a mission. The free man knows his worth, is not distracted and is on a mission.

Who is free? Is a man free because he has money, fame etc..? A homeless man may be more free than the wealthiest tycoon and famous musician. 

Freedom is not a matter of position, situation or life circumstances, freedom begins in the mind.

A man may be in chains yet has been freed from the mental chains society imposed.

Paul and Silas were in prison and were yet more free than the guard who feared that any escaped prisoners may cost him his life. Paul and Silas were more free than the emperor Nero on his throne, who feared conspiracies from every corner.

John the Baptist was homeless and yet was more free than king Herod upon his throne, who was bound in a chain of lust and appearance of power and greatness. John was free from the bondage of man's expectations, while Herod was fearful of even a whisper of disaproval. A monarch so in chain to public opinion that he had John executed in order to keep a foolish oath for fear of appearing indecisive.

This is why Christ said “everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.” John 8:34 (CSB). The man or woman under the power of sin is a slave to all manner of fears and constraints, regardless of their external circumstances.

But if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed. The free man is the man who has been set free by Christ. Freed from his fears, anxieties, vices, false identity. Free from the delusion of society. 

The man who is free is the one who has taken the first step towards freedom. He has turned away from his chains. An escaped slave who falls in battle against his master, dies a free man. 

The free man is the one who has taken the first step towards freedom. 

The first step is the true revolutionary act upon which the flag of liberty is planted.

Whether in secular matters or spiritual matters, the free man is the one who has decided to no longer be a slave to the foolish pursuits of society, of this world, and has taken the first step towards freedom.

Whether it be being content with what one has and not chasing after constant promotions, likes, and keeping up with the Joneses, or in spiritual matters where the man or woman who has decided to give his or her life to Christ, and makes Him his first love: The first one he speaks to in the morning, the last one he speak to at night. This is a man who will reject the idea that a man or woman holds the key to our satisfaction, that money will make us happy, and that drugs, sex and alcohol will cure our wounds. The man who has rejected these false ideas has freed himself from cruel chains and is a free man. He has taken the first step towards Christ by giving himself over to Him. Even if he has not yet experienced the joy and peace promised, he has committed a revolutionary act and is already freed from the bondage of Satan and society.

You may still have your struggles, you may still be in physical chains, but the decision to leave, the first step towards Christ has already removed the shackles from your mind. You have seen the way to true freedom. Christ will strengthen you, make you focus and give you a mission. The mission? To continue the march of liberty and to spread the call of it everywhere, in whatever way He has called you. 

The only question is will you continue? My advice: move forward, and advance.