The Fall and Rise of Liberty

[Trumpetfolker]

Oh, for the ubiquitous cry, "Freedom is not free!".
I would like us to consider the words of our Lord made near the beginning of His public ministry in the flesh.

Lu 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath 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,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

In other words, the anointing for preaching the gospel to the poor, and for preaching deliverance to the captives, and to set at liberty them that are bruised was in place by the time Jesus read that message in that synagogue.
Following this proclamation, Jesus began teaching The Way of liberty. He taught men how to relate to money and possessions and the honor that men give so as to be free indeed. He commanded His disciples to teach the nations to observe the very same commandments which He had delivered to them- and they did.

Ga 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

5:13 ¶ For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

It worked so well that even the pagans reported that they turned the world upside down. Setting people free with the wisdom of God and the power of God, they incurred great wrath from those who were losing influence and money.

Ac 19:25 Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

Ac 16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
....
19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

Jn 11:46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.
47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

Mr 15:10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.

However, persecution was not the only attack prepared against the holy nation.

Ga 2:4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

2 Pt 2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

1 Pt 2:1 ¶ But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 ¶ And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
...
13 ¶ Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

Re 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
...
14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

It was recognized that the gospel that turned the world upside down was the words of the Lord Jesus Christ and the doctrine according to godliness- the message that Jesus was anointed to preach, and which created a unity of the Spirit in men. Therefore, they had to make divisions.
The beginning of making divisions always starts with bad-mouthing someone in authority. After expressing concerns of the flesh in that way, false gospels are developed by presenting a list of reforms which the fleshly assert need to be enacted.
Men did so (and continue to do so) creating new gospels composed of great swelling words of vanity, promising liberty in terms that the flesh appreciates.
This was that process which Jesus called "the deeds of the Nicolaitans"- those who overcome the people.

One false gospel was a message to the flesh which had power to divide according to the flesh of the Jews.

Ga 4:17 ¶ They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.

Because "national interests" (from the point of view of those which Peter called "natural brute beasts") are defined by the people who have money, another gospel has been created to divide God's people according to the distribution of wealth. This false gospel is defined with great swelling words of vanity as the rich tell every one how important they are to the economy- a fleshly concern.

There is a false gospel that appeals directly to the libido. There are false gospels that appeal to racism. There are false gospels that appeal to nationalism.
And into the midst of this maelstrom of false gospels, and the myriad of bondages they engender, we try to find some kind of liberty for ourselves and our offspring. Either that, or we just give up and go with the flow- as one secular song says, "Freedom? Oh, Freedom.. Well that's just some people talking".
Who is the valiant man that will fight his way back to the stronghold?

Zc 9:11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.
12 ¶ Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;

By the blood of the New Covenant which Jesus shed for us, we, who were prisoners of sin because we had been overcome by it, have been sent forth out of the pit where there is no water. Will we stay in the pit, or will we find out how to get back to the strong hold where we receive our double?
Will you submit to the Lord of lords who commanded in this manner?

Ga 5:1 ¶ Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Those who will fight the good fight of faith I advise to look at the words of Peter, again.

2 Pt 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
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3:1 ¶ This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: