“Now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty” (II Corinthians 3:17).

Liberty (Def): (Gr.): Eleutheria from Eleutheros: Unrestrained; to go at will, Freedom

The Apostle in the text above, and in context with the passage in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians contrasts the freedoms we enjoy in Christ by the Spirit of the Lord versus the restrictions imposed by Moses under the Law. Just as the Law was very confining, the Spirit is very libertating. The Call of Liberty is a powerful call to those who seek the Freedom that is to be found in Christ Jesus by the Spirit of the Lord.

Jesus, Himself, acknowledged His calling as the Messiah when in the synagogue He read the text of the Prophet Isaiah, who prophesied:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted; to proclaim Liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound” (Isaiah 61:1).

As recorded in the Gospel of Luke:

“Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and as His custom was He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day and stood up for to read. There was delivered to Him the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, and when He had opened the Book, He found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at Liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:16-18).

The significance of this reading from Isaiah cannot be overstated, as confirmed by the Gospel text:

“He closed the Book and gave it again to the Minister. He sat down and the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him. He said to them, ‘This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears'” (Luke 4:20-21).

The Call of Liberty is a call frought with risks. People like their ways, their form, their traditions. They do not want these things disturbed. In declaring His Messiahship in their midst, He really disturbed their peace. The Scripture Jesus read was no ordinary one. It was one of those Scriptures reserved for the Messiah. When Jesus said, “This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears”, He was declaring before them all, “I am the Messiah”, and they knew it.

The end result of Christ’s declarations was the people:

“Rose up and thrust Him out of the City, and led Him to the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast Him down headlong. But He passing through the midst of them went His way” (Luke 4:29-30.).

For as long as Jesus was willing, He lived in complete freedom to serve the will of the Father, to minister to the people ‘To preach the Gospel to the poor. . .to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at Liberty them that are bruised”.

The Call of Liberty is a powerful call to those who hear it, obey it and follow it in their walk with the Lord. Though man tries to restrain, the spirit of those who heed the Call of Liberty, is unrestrained in the Spirit of the Lord. Though man tries to confine, the spirit of the liberated man walks in freedom.

The Apostle, though in prison wrote to Timothy:

“Remember that Jesus Christ of the Seed of David was raised from the dead according to my Gospel; wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even unto bonds, but the word of God is not bound. Therefore, I endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (II Timothy 2:8-10).

The Apostle knew the Call of Liberty upon him and lived in the glorious liberty of the Spirit even in the midst of chains and prison bars around him. His witness, his testimony, his Epistles, his prayers, his meditations, his communion in the Spirit with his true Master continued even as he suffered trouble. . .even unto bonds”.

Friend, have you heard the call? Are you free? The Call of Liberty is sounding forth to all who can receive and discern it’s voice. Heed it’s call today. Respond. Say yes. Follow wheresoever He leads.

It is the Lord who calls. It is the Spirit who is drawing you into Himself and where He is there is Liberty.

“Stand fast, therefore, in the Liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).

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