An Intimate Look at Love

By Alexandra Copeland

Bondage and oppression are sometimes difficult subjects to talk about, but we are not without chronicles in history that bear those ugly stains. Many of us have either seen or heard about slavery in our lifetimes. History books contain records of it, and most importantly, God’s Word tells us about its tyranny. People have been enslaved in one way or another at various times in human history. As bad as it is, it is important to note that physical enslavement, oppressive imprisonment and loss of one’s freedom, is not as cruel as spiritual imprisonment. A person can be physically free, but spiritually imprisoned. This is the state of all who will not accept the love of Jesus Christ. God has given each of us free-will to do as we please. Our history dictates that many people will use God’s generous gift of free-will not to worship Him more, but to sin more. Our disobedience perpetuated a vicious cycle of spiritual enslavement, but Jesus Christ has rescued us from it.

2Corinthians 3:17(NLT) tells us, “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” If we flip the script, we also know that wherever the Spirit of the Lord is absent, there is bondage. Jesus Christ has told us in John 10:10, that the enemy is a thief who is out to steal, kill, and destroy us; because he doesn’t want us to belong to God’s Kingdom. 

Freedom and liberty are a part of God’s Kingdom. Bondage and oppression are part of the enemy’s kingdom, and the enemy wants people to be enslaved by addictions, financial debt, abusive relationships, and emotional-physical-mental ailments so that they will not choose love, but choose to remain under his ruler-ship and dominion through fear.

We have been released from this through God’s love, demonstrated by Jesus Christ. Our precious Lord and Savior gladly gave his life for us. Nothing compares to the love of God that Christ has in his heart for the body of believers. It’s unlike anything that any person can offer. It is beyond the level of compassion and kindness we might see from others, and nothing separates us from it (Romans 8:39). Heavenly Father knows everything there is to know about every person that has ever lived and is living today. He knows our past, present, and future. He is all-knowing, and knows what we’re going to do before we do it. Before any of us existed, He saw the worse sin that we could ever do, and He gave His only begotten Son to pay the price for all of it.

Jesus didn’t have to give his life for us. He had free-will, just as we do. He could have reneged, but he didn’t. He looked upon us and even knowing the worse about us, he considered us worth his sacrifice. His heart so full of love, he laid down his life. His love is staggeringly and magnificently beautiful, that’s why Hebrew 12:2(NLT) tells us we ought to keep our eyes glued to it. Jesus Christ is “the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

Ephesians 4:8 tells us that this love, the love of Christ, led captivity captive. Jesus put enslavement in jail, and let us out of it. The enemy wanted to keep us locked up, perpetually stealing from us, destroying us and everything that we hold dear, but God rescued us through His Son, and now we’re free. Galatians 5:1 (MSG) tells us, “Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.”

We are free to live the life of love that God has called us to through Christ. John 8:36 (NLT) tells us, “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” It is important how we stand in this freedom, because we cannot stand in a place of liberty and still be in chains. We have to take a stand for love, and that means making God the center of our lives. It means making a habit pattern of talking and consulting with Him often, and allowing the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and direct us.

Because of Christ, God has taken up residence inside of us. 1 John 4:17-18 (MSG) tells us, “God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.” If we look at ourselves through His love, we will be grateful for the life He’s given us, and we’ll use it to love and serve others. We’ll abandon fear and all its sin remnants, and we’ll look to the example of our Master Jesus. His love will continually inspire us as we walk in the freedom that it extends.■

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.