Liberated: Living in the Divine Freedom That Is Yours in Christ

By Hugh Barber

In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off].


Is who you are today based on what you do, or is it defined by who you are? A distorted identity and life of bondage are not a coincidence. A poor understanding of our identity is the primary cause of bondage amongst Christians today. For your identity directly determines your every decision and how you choose to live your life.

A person who is liberated has the right or power to do as one pleases, or freedom without restraint or bondage. Galatians 5:1 declares this reality It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. However, too many sincere believers today are living in some type of bondage when they already have the power to be set free. Therefore understanding who we are and unlocking the power within us as children of God is the key to liberated life.

A desire to be all that God created us to be should be our highest pursuit in life. When we understand who we are and our purpose in Christ, we will be able to take hold of all the amazing plans He has in store for us. In this book you will understand the reality of your true identity as a Christian, the purpose of being broken and restored, as well as the importance our thoughts captive. You will discover practical steps to walking in freedom and the significance of becoming all you were created to be.

Founded in biblical principles and inspiring stories, this book will help you realize your true identity that can empower you to having long lasting freedom in every area of your life. What other people daily struggle with does not have to be your story too. That there is absolutely nothing which is too powerful or difficult for God to set you free today. No matter your past mistakes or current circumstances, join me as we realize the divine freedom that is ours in Christ.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Sep 19, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499020861

Hugh Barber

Hugh grew up in Sydney, Australia and has travelled extensively around the world. He has a Bachelor of Business degree and an Advanced Diploma in Theology. He currently lives in London and works in local government as a manager in housing. He writes inspirational Christian books as a hobby and loves football, Marvel movies, Japanese food and coffee. Hugh is married to Amy and has two beautiful girls, Jasmine and Abigail.

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Copyright © 2014 by Hugh Barber.

All scripture references are from New International Version 1984, New Living Translation, Amplified Version or New King James Version. Words in italics are the emphasis of the author or for scriptures and quotes. The words ‘his’, him’, ‘he’ or ‘they’ are sometimes used generically to describe people of both genders.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 09/16/2014

Xlibris LLC

1-800-455-039

www.Xlibris.com.au

633581

Contents

Dedication

Introduction

Chapter 1—Identity Crisis

Chapter 2—Who You Really Are

Chapter 3—Broken And Restored By God

Chapter 4—Transformed By The Renewing Of Your Mind

Chapter 5—Walking In Freedom

Chapter 6—You Are The Answer To Your World

Chapter 7—Becoming All That You Were Created To Be

References

Conclusion

About the Author

Dedication

I dedicate this book to two men who made it possible for me to be walking in the freedom of Christ I have today. Don Rayman, I met you for only three weeks but we were destined to be lifelong friends! Thank you for your constant encouragement, accountability and believing in me from the other side of the world. I am thankful to God for you brother.

And Andrew Castle, thank you for never giving up on me when others did and your ceaseless prayers. I am the man of faith today because of your friendship, words of wisdom and prayers. You are a man after God’s own heart and a true friend. I cannot thank you both enough.

‘Lib-erty’

• deror (Hebrew)

• freedom; release; setting free

• eleutheria (Greek)

• freedom from slavery; negation of control or dominion

In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off].

Galatians 5:1 AMP

Introduction

Writing a book, what a project! Months of seemingly endless writing, thinking, studying and planning with at times no end in sight. This book took longer than anticipated for several reasons. Primarily because of one: I had to experience it before I could write it. Something God has a habit of doing.

A desire to be all that God created us to be and to live free from any bondage or sin should be our highest attainment in life. Ephesians 4:13 says, [May] we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. It has always been God’s intention from the very beginning that we are individually living in joy, peace, victory and freedom. Jesus’ mission statement hasn’t changed; He came to give us life and life in abundance!

One definition of the word liberated can be to set free from personal bondage. Nouns include deliverance, freedom, liberty, and release from captivity. This is everything Christ died for us to have today. Our identity greatly determines who we are and what we do in life. When we understand who we are and our purpose in Christ, we will be able to take hold of all the amazing plans God has for us. That you are loved because of who you are, not because of anything that you will ever do. From this place who you are changes what you do. When you come to the full revelation of your true identity and experience real freedom in Christ, nothing can stop you.

Freedom is so important to people today. It is possibly one of the most valued and celebrated realities a person can experience after a lifetime of bondage. The truth is we were created to be free and experience the fullness of freedom in Christ as Christians. But the reality is many sincere believers today are living in some kind of bondage, sin or ruled by negative emotions when they have the power to be set free.

Galatians 5:1 says It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. A person who is liberated has the right or power to do as one pleases, or freedom without restraint or bondage. No matter your past or current circumstances, it is never too late to be all that God created you to be. There is absolutely nothing that is too powerful or difficult for God to set a person free. What you do comes from who you truly are when we understand who we are and our purpose in Christ.

The purpose of this book is to provide a clear and biblical framework of your identity in Christ which leads to long lasting relational, spiritual, physical and emotional freedom. To inspire and transform you to become all God created you to be. To live liberated in your life in total freedom in the fullness of your faith and relationship with Christ. That you would have freedom from addictions, liberty over the power of sin, release from childhood bondages, and set free from negative emotions.

The chapters in this book cover important subjects to living in freedom in Christ. They include 1) understanding our identity of who you really are in Christ, 2) the process of being broken and restored by God, 3) being transformed by the renewing of your mind, 4) and walking in freedom. Later the book will discuss what living in freedom looks like, and how you are God’s answer to your world, followed by becoming all that you were created to be.

An accurate perception of ourselves, God and others based on the truth of God’s word will over time lead to liberation in our everyday lives. Changing behaviour without understanding the reasons behind the behaviour will not bring long term change. But a deep sense of our need for God’s grace, sorrow over sin and joy over our forgiveness will.

God can accomplish great things within us through difficult seasons. I will share moments of my journey of overcoming years of bondage which I believe can be fully yours too. Join with me as we journey on living in the divine freedom that is yours in Christ. May God find you in this book and restore you as His child.

Hugh Barber

Chapter 1

Identity Crisis

The word liberated is a powerful word that can stir strong emotions within the human soul. For some it is taken for granted in their day-to-day travels. But for others it is the story of their life coming from a life of brutal bondage. Then there are the heroic, who believe this reality is fully worth dying for so others can live in its fullness. Thousands of books, songs and movies have been made from this simple but powerful concept of public and personal liberation.

When the Berlin wall came down in Germany on the 9th November 1989, the world watched and celebrated because people were being set free. Some of the biggest days in modern history were the French Revolution, the American War of Independence and the end of the Second World War. Movies like The Great Escape, The Shawshank Redemption, Gladiator and Braveheart are bestsellers because they stir the human belief to fight for freedom against all injustices.

A person who is liberated has the right or power to do as one pleases. They have freedom without restraint, bondage or fear. Simply put, nobody in their right mind believes living in any kind of relational, spiritual, physical or emotional bondage is good in any context. Every person should be born free and would not desire a life of slavery. All people from all races love to lead a free and independent life. Even birds and animals desire to live free from chains and cages.

Liberated Defined:

• The condition of being free; the power to act, speak or think without restraints;

• Liberty of the person from slavery; bondage of self; deliverance;

• The right to unrestricted use; full access; given complete freedom;

• The right of enjoying all of the privileges of membership or citizenship; the freedom of the city.¹

There are various types of liberty we can see in the world today. Constitutions have given certain rights to citizens such as freedom of speech and of religion, the right to equality and to justice, freedom of forming association and freedom of living. For example, freedom of religion means that an individual is free to practice or profess to any religious faith. Individual freedom means those liberties which are necessary for an individual to improve and develop oneself. Historically if these rights are denied, mighty revolutions have erupted, such is liberty so core to our humanity.

But perhaps never before has the world faced such a time of bondage and uncertain times. Every day the news reports stories of human trafficking, refugees, terrorism and international conflicts. Hospitals and general practitioners are full of patients dealing with depression, fear, anxiety, and addictions, which are rising at an alarming rate. Consider how many are trapped in the prisons of their minds or the doors of their home, let alone those who are actually behind bars? The door is open but too often we cannot walk out and live free.

History has shown that liberty is not free, it is costly. Over the course of World War 1 approximately 37 million soldiers and civilians died. Furthermore during World War 2 over 60 million died and the greatest loss of life ever in recorded history. On my prayer walks in Green Park, London, I walk past a beautiful Royal Air Force memorial, dedicated to the airmen who died protecting Britain from Nazi invasion over the English Channel. It has the following inscription:

This memorial is dedicated to the 55,573 airmen from the United Kingdom British Commonwealth & Allied nations who served in RAF bomber command & lost their lives over the course of the Second World War.

It never ceases to amaze me how a generation was so willing to be sacrificed for the freedom of those they would never see. Perciles, a Greek statesman and general (c. 495-429BC) once said, "Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it".

Winston Churchill summed up this significant time in history well: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." Supported by maintenance crews and newly invented radar, they were known as the Few. A young RAF pilot said these words before he went down in 1940: "The universe is so vast and so ageless that the life of one man can only be justified by the measure of his sacrifice".

To put into historical perspective, since 3,600BC the world has known only roughly 290 years of peace. During this period there have been some 14,540 wars large and small, with some 3.64 billion people directly or indirectly killed.² The world might not be at war today but consider the following biggest global issues facing our generation that are a daily battle:

• Loneliness—studies show loneliness is driving more and more otherwise healthy people to visit their doctor on a regular basis. Even the world’s biggest cities have the highest issues, with one in five patients visiting a local doctor because of an intense feeling of isolation. Those over 65 admit feeling cut off from their family and outside world, with the television as their main company.³

• Mental Health—depression affects one in five people with about ten percent of children diagnosed with a mental health problem at any one time. One in four peoplewill experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year. Women are more likely to have been treated for a mental health problem than men.⁴

• Poverty—over three billion people live on less than US$2.50 a day and at least 80% of humanity lives on less than US$10 a day. According to the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), 22,000 children die each day due to poverty, some 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation.⁵

• Suicide—one million people across the globe die by suicide each year, which equates to one suicide every forty seconds. More people choose to end their life each year than murder and war combined, with an estimated five percent of people attempting suicide at least once in their lifetime.⁶

• Abortion—according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), every year there are an estimated 40-50 million abortions, or 125,000 abortions per day. In the US, nearly half of pregnancies are unintended and four in ten of these are terminated, or over 3,000 abortions per day.⁷

• Overpopulation—more than seven billion people currently inhabit the planet compared to only three billion in 1967. Population growth is a root cause of many environmental and social problems today. Global warming is disrupting ecosystems and threatening billions of people with dislocation, and energy sources becoming scarcer. With this population pressure, people now live in areas that are unsafe, with hundreds dying in July 2010 on the floodplains in Pakistan, and thousands killed in the tsunami-prone coast of Japan in March 2011.⁸

• Climate Change—the past decade was the warmest ever on record with more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today than at any other point in recorded history. In the last century alone, sea levels rose roughly seven inches after not having changed noticeably in the previous 2,000 years. Consequently there are more violent and frequent droughts, storms, hurricanes and bush fires around the world causing billions in damage and devastating loss of life each year.⁹

• Cancer—international statistics show an estimated 12.7 million cancer cases around the world every year, with this number expected to increase to 21 million by 2030. The most common cancers today are lung cancer, breast, prostate and liver cancer. It is highly likely you and I will know someone personally who will be impacted by cancer to some degree.¹⁰

Additionally this is not to mention the widespread issues of slavery, refugees, overcrowded prisons, divorce and human sex trafficking. Against such evidence is true freedom possible today? When people experience freedom what does it look like? And how can freedom be long lasting and not temporary?

The liberated word I am referring to is the freedom, peace and joy within the human body, soul and spirit. Specifically the liberty in a person’s relational, spiritual, physical and emotional world. One that is free from any type of bondage, sickness, sin or addiction. It is widely sought after but few fully attain. Yes, liberated is a powerful word indeed.

Troubled Times

A common link amongst many of these global issues is the fact we live in a world today where sin is not only openly displayed daily, but tolerated and celebrated. Some of our own major cities could easily compare to Sodom and Gomorrah because of their blatant depravity. According to the International Criminal Police Organisation’s 1990 statistics, England reported 6.7 rapes per 100,000 population; France, 8.1; the Netherlands, 8.9; Switzerland, 6.2; Germany, 8.2; Poland, 5.9.

The United States reported 41.2. Former Secretary of Education William J. Bennett, spoke of other shameful categories in which the United States leads the world:

During the same thirty-year period [1960-1990], there was a 560 percent increase in violent crime; more than a 400 percent increase in illegitimate births; a quadrupling of divorces; a tripling of the percentage of children living in single-parent homes; more than a 200 percent increase in the teenage suicide rate; and a drop of 75 points in the average SAT scores of high school students… ¹¹

As far as we know the AIDS crisis has been around since 1981, although blood samples from as early as 1959 show evidence of the HIV virus. Approximately 6.4 million have died from AIDS already, and 30 million people are HIV positive today, with this number expected to grow each year. Although the disease can be spread by other means, the primary vehicle for the contagious virus is sexual contact.¹²

This means that some eighty-seven percent of all disease is preventable by keeping 1 Corinthians 6:18, to flee from all forms of sexual immorality. Mankind could eliminate nearly nine-tenths of all disease by changing sexual behaviour to conform to God’s standard. Imagine the health, joy and peace this would create!

Popular worldly options today to obtain ‘temporary freedom’ from pain, fear or insecurity are plastic surgery, medication, escapism through alcohol, drugs, sexual immorality and others. Advertisements and materialism all play to the lust of the flesh, making it increasingly more difficult for people