Freedom-Are You Really Free? – Romans 6:22
“Freedom-Are You Really Free?”
“But now being made free from sin, and become servants
of God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlast-
ing life.” Romans 6:22
When Japan surrendered after the bombing of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, World War II came to an end. However, there
was a Japanese soldier who didn’t come out of his hiding to
surrender for almost three decades! This man, Lieutenant
Hiroo Onoda, was an intelligence officer deployed to the
Philippines with orders to never surrender or take his own life!
He survived on coconut milk, bananas and stolen cattle. All
this while engaging in occasional fights with the local police.
In 1974, Hiroo finally was convinced to surrender as the war
had ended long ago. Lt. Onoda had actually kept himself in
bondage and fear the entire time by not exploring the
possibility that Japan had lost its war with the world.
The word surrender is often defined as “submit” or “to
retire, or yield.” Mr. Onoda finally submitted to authority and
by doing so, he became a free man instead of a “wanted man”
or basically a man in bondage or a person enslaved by duty.
After his surrender, he moved to South America and became a
farmer, as he had freedom to do so.
Let me ask this question, “Are you enslaved by the
world?” Jesus said, ” … Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Whosoever commiteth sin is the servant of sin” (Jn. 8:34).
You will never be free until you surrender your life to Christ.
You will either serve sin or the Saviour. You can’t serve both.
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free
indeed” (Jn. 8:36). = G.W.
Prepared by Roger Fulk, from excerpts from the “Baptist Bread” February 20, 2023, devotional by author REV. GARY WADDELL, Victory Ministries, Hartsville, TN With permission from Tim Green, editor of Baptist Bread.
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