The Great Escape

It’s interesting, using that title, how it brings back memories of that classic war movie called by the same name, The Great Escape with Steve McQueen in the lead role.
Within that setting, captured soldiers from different countries who were subjected to the same imprisonment, sought diligently discovering ways and means of finally escaping from their Nazi German jailers. Freedom was a costly option for so many of these men that ended up in the loss of many lives, but then again, is freedom just another word for, fill in the blank _ _ _ _ _ _?

We are encouraged (admonished) to stand fast in the freedom wherein we stand, no longer subjecting ourselves to our former slavery. Truthfully and wonderfully said, but, the working out of this is where the rub comes in, and especially when our minds are still under the subversive influence of the old sin matrix imprinting, that continues its attempt to make null and void what God has done within us.
None of us can manufacture or produce this growing ability to stand fast apart from a continued discovery of who our Freedom is.
In taking my wife to work this morning, we continued talking more about this and as she was voicing her insights to me, and I turned to her and said, in everything you just said which I totally agreed with, there was one word that was pivotal, (fulcrum-apex) and that was, we are learning! Additional thoughts.

In the out workings of grace and its powerful tsunami effects upon us I see not only in my own life but in others the terribly seductive ensnarement of thinking; simply because we are ‘set free’ from fears influence aka trying to control others, or whatever the wonderful spin offs of grace’s redesigning is accomplishing in us, we think have LEARNED something, and there is never any chance of a relapse, why because we’re ‘free’ of course.
To that I say balderdash! Any ability to no longer get irritated, pissed off, or fearful or whatever is only because of the miracle of His present grace working from deep within, and the fruit it produces is NOT designed to make us look like some self-righteous prick….oh, look at me, I use to be this, but NO longer, and what the hell is wrong with those poor bastards that seem to keep crawling back into their fear cages??
In my opinion I see it is very easy to exchange one form of bondage for another, oh we may not be tripped up as easily as we once were, and maybe we no longer get stuck in (the muck) what so many still seem to be doing, but is it possible we have forgotten Who it was that set into motion our liberation?
Is it possible that in forgetting, not only was it grace, but it continues to be grace that keeps us free, and one of the biggest snares I see grace wants to keep us free from is becoming an arrogant self-righteous prick shaking our heads in disbelief as to why folks seems to love living in fear or whatever bondage.

Two men went into the holy place, one a self-righteous prick, smugly intoxicated in his own importance, high on himself, looking to see if God was thankful to have such a catch as him. While not far from him was another man, who somehow recognized that he was not only in a holy place, but it was only because of a holy God. The story goes on to say, this one saw his true worth, value only as a result of being loved, having nothing to do with his performance.
Jesus summed it up by asking, ‘Which of these two men went home justified?’

I love this beautiful picture of the Son saying to the Father, ‘Father I thank you, that you have hidden this mystery from the smart asses, and made it known unto the children.’Maybe there is SO MUCH more yet to discover about this amazing word called, Grace!

Rich