“She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:11)
The ability to do whatever we want to do, no matter what it is, is hindered by only two possibilities, personal repercussions if we are caught, and moral constructs of the mind, and those most generally by the particular social structure we live in or were raised in.
There are prison houses for those whom society deems a danger to society, and against their free will they are hindered in the ability to express themselves, but whether it be because of being placed in one of them or stepping outside that morality we are expected to remain in, people do not openly, in either their public or private lives, express their free will because of fear.
If this were not true, we would live in nations of continuous chaos.
“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Gen. 6:5)
Those who have been born-again live by a different construct, we stop doing what we used to do, and we start doing what we have been commanded, led to do, for a singular reason, and that reason is love produced by faith.
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1st John 4:18)
It is not a love that exists outside of faith, none who are unrepentant can experience it, offer it, live within it or express it. There is no fear in this love, it gives no thought to any of society’s moral standards, and it will never know condemnation.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)
Only those who have been hid in Christ know perfect free will.
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
Embarrassment of the Lord Jesus Christ is fear, the fear of man, hypocrisy in Spiritual matters is seeking the praise of man because of fear, loving this present world is a fear of losing what we will not take with us anyway. The only fear that one who has been saved by grace through faith knows is the fear that we may in some way dishonor our Father in heaven, in all other matters, we have no fear.
“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” (Psalm 118:6)
This is in all reality the only tool that Satan has to use against us, through temptations, through the sparks of his fiery darts, he attempts to get us to sin, and when we do, and my friends, it is always by our own free will that we do so, we know a grief in our soul that none in the world can ever experience, for we have committed an act abhorrent in the eyes of the only One who has or ever will love us beyond all we can imagine.
That is the only fear we know.
Those who are hid in Christ never move forward in fear of His chastisements.
“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” (Heb. 12:6)
We never walk a path of fear in any of our thoughts of our Father in heaven.
“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” (Jer. 31:3)
And only the seriously misinformed ever give even one thought of losing His gift of eternal life.
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)
Works of love are done through us and by us for our heart of flesh is led by the Holy Spirit, and in faith we move forward on the path, fear never enters the mind that serves Christ.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” (Prov. 9:10)
That fear is a reverential trust and a hatred of evil, it is truth that is received by faith, and that faith produces a love that knows no fear, either of man or devil.
The perfect love that casts out all fear brings with it a peace that passes all understanding, for the truth has set us free, the Son has indeed set us free.
