If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Isaiah 58:8b-12

Desire is the key to self-discipline.  If you want something, you are motivated to obtain it.

Consider the promises.

God will always guide you.  He will meet all your needs, even when in dry places.  You will never be in darkness–even in your darkest moments, it will be like noon day.  You will be well-watered, prospering in everything.  And, you will restore the things that had gone before, that have fallen, and been destroyed.  That which was from generations past, you will rebuild.

If that is the promise, what is God requiring?  The removal of the yoke.  The removal of the pointing of the finger.  An end to bad speech.  And, instead, to assist those who are oppressed, and to spend yourself on behalf of the hungry. If this is the requirement for that, shouldn’t we be devoted to it?

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It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1 NASB

Slavery comes in all forms.  And, sometimes, they are the most well-seeming ones.  But, first, let us study freedom.

But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

Matthew 23:8-12 NASB

Freedom looks like being free.  And, with that freedom comes responsibility.  No one can be free unless he chooses to subject himself to some form of self-restraint.  Any man would quickly ruin himself if he only chose what seemed right in the moment.

But, God gave us freedom to free us from the law of sin, so that we might obey the law of life and liberty in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2).

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And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

Genesis 4:6-8

The first appearance of a man experiencing rejection in the Bible was in Genesis 3.  When the eyes of the couple were opened, they knew that they were naked.  They knew that the state that they were in was insufficient, and they suffered shame.  This was the first rejection.

Shortly after, their son Cain experienced similar rejection.  His offering was not accepted as a way to seek God, and so he was angry and his face downcast.

In both of these cases, the conditions of the rejection were the men’s relationship with God.  In the first, the man lost his fellowship with God, in the second, the other man failed to regain it through an inappropriate offering.

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So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6-7

Paul explained the doctrine of Grace. He had a way of expressing things that got to the root of the matter, dividing one thing from another, by means of the Word and the Spirit. He often captured complicated things in such a way as to express and administer them to people so that there could be understanding of what was being taught so that people could come to the same place of agreement in faith concerning subjects as he had.

In speaking to the church at Colossae, Paul laid out the way of Grace through faith. Grace is the enablement of God, and faith is God’s gift.
When we consider the children of Israel, it says they perished in the wilderness because they did not mix their promises with faith. Although they had faith, they did not choose to use the free gift of God, and so enter into His Rest.

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Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey

Romans 6:16, portion

Although Paul here was speaking of submission to sin, he spoke of a general principle which holds true in all things.  When we submit our spirits to any thing, we become its slaves.  This is true, whether it is to a job, a spouse, an organization, or any other thing.

Jesus said that, for believers, we are to call no one Rabbi, Teacher, Father, Leader, or Master, for God alone is all of these things (Matthew 23:1-12).  In fact, Jesus Himself said that the Gentiles even consider it to the benefit of those they are leading when they do so, and call themselves their subject’s “benefactors” (Luke 22:25).  But, He said,

But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

Luke 22:26-27

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But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Galatians 6:14

The freedom from this life is the freedom from all of its desires, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.  Yet, this is not asceticism, or the simply turning away from the things of the world, as if to nothing, but it is turning to a greater thing, a thing of true worth, and a thing of lasting enjoyment.

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The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment:

1 Corinthians 2:15 NIV

You see, it is the spiritual man that is free.

According to Paul, he, the spiritual man, judges all things, and yet is judged by no one.

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

1 Corinthians 2:15 KJV

He that is spiritual judges.  He that is spiritual is not subject to other men’s judgement.

The man led by the Spirit is not under the law.  He neither looks directly to it for his direction nor does he receive criticism or accusation that he has violated it or has transgressed it.

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 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

Galatians 6:1

What a far distance from this Scriptures so many people live today!  Not that this isn’t done, but that there are so few that can do it, or seem to, at the very least!  It happens for sure, but we could be further along.

Consider this.  If someone who is caught in a trespass, the one who is spiritual should restore the other in gentleness.  That is, the person who is not caught in sin should restore the person who is.  While it is obvious that a person here is caught in a trespass, let us not miss the obvious that there is someone in this picture who isn’t!

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[B]ut he who is doing the truth doth come to the light, that his works may be manifested, that in God they are having been wrought.

John 3:21 YLT

The Kingdom and the earth cannot be compared.  They are so drastically different from each other, that Jesus says the only way to really live “there” is to not live “here”.  This obviously does not have to be fully understood to be lived, but for those who look to understand and see what Jesus was saying, in order to live by it, it becomes evident.

He who begins to build a tower must first calculate the cost, lest he run out half way through (Luke 14:28).  Jesus said that unless you hate your former life (Luke 14:26), every part, including family ties and who you used to be, you cannot be His disciple.  Luke 14:33 goes a long ways and says that unless you give up everything you have, you cannot be His disciple.

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There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus;

Romans 8:1

But, there is condemnation for those who are not in Christ.  Jesus said,

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Mark 16:16

Jesus said that those who do not believe in Him, the Son of Man who was God Himself, would be eternally condemned, bound in an eternal hell for Eternity.  Paul, writing later, said that it was on the six foundations of the Christian faith, without which, one could not move on to maturity (Hebrews 6:2).

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