Do you remember the movie, “Free Willy?” It’s a story about a captive Orca that was confined to a tank in a marine park. "Poor Willy" longed for freedom (at least that was the premise of the story line). At night he would cry out to his family in the bay outside the park. Finally Willy’s cries reached the ears of a young boy who felt and empathised with Willy's agony and found a way to free him from his captors.
Now that makes for a nice heart wrenching, touchy-feely, and sentimental story but the real-life star of the film, Keik
o, the killer whale, rejected freedom and actually preferred captivity. Keiko died in 2003 but before his death, his caretakers wasted millions of dollars over a ten year period trying to free him. They took him out to sea more than 60 times in hopes that he would rejoin wild killer whale pods in his natural arctic habitat near Iceland. But every time they release him, Keiko came back to the familiarity of captivity.
People are like that too. I think it is ironic that the title of the movie, Free Willy, is so similar to the phrase, free will. We are in bondage and need to be liberated. God’s Word teaches that we are prisoners of sin and we cannot free ourselves; we need a Savior to come along, understand our need, and make a way for us to be free.
Now that makes for a nice heart wrenching, touchy-feely, and sentimental story but the real-life star of the film, Keik
o, the killer whale, rejected freedom and actually preferred captivity. Keiko died in 2003 but before his death, his caretakers wasted millions of dollars over a ten year period trying to free him. They took him out to sea more than 60 times in hopes that he would rejoin wild killer whale pods in his natural arctic habitat near Iceland. But every time they release him, Keiko came back to the familiarity of captivity.People are like that too. I think it is ironic that the title of the movie, Free Willy, is so similar to the phrase, free will. We are in bondage and need to be liberated. God’s Word teaches that we are prisoners of sin and we cannot free ourselves; we need a Savior to come along, understand our need, and make a way for us to be free.
That is exactly what Jesus Christ did for us. He has opened the gate wide and put freedom easily within our reach. But, just like Keiko the killer whale, people actually reject the freedom God has offered because, in our sin nature, given a choice we will always choose to remain captive to sin. Until God changes our nature, we cannot be set free. And once that happens, then we truly have the free will to reject sin and obey God.
Jesus said to the people, “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” But they said, “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘set free’?”Jesus replied, “I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin. But if I
set you free, you will indeed be free” (paraphrased from John 8:31-36).
Jesus said to the people, “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” But they said, “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘set free’?”Jesus replied, “I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin. But if I
set you free, you will indeed be free” (paraphrased from John 8:31-36).
reposted from 11/07
2 comments:
Amen.
We so often lose sight of the fact that man is DEAD in sin and therefore unable to do anything about his condition. When Saul of Tarsus was on the road to Damascus, our Lord did not give an "invitation" and ask which of the men on that road would like to respond and become an apostle. He simply grabbed the one He wanted - his chosen vessel - Saul of Tarsus. Paul was not saved because he was "seeking" God. He was saved against his will - actually in spite of His will - totally by the sovereign grace of God.
There is simply too much Biblical support for this truth to ignore it. No man has ever chosen to come to Christ of his own "free will" (an oxymoron like "square circle"). Anyone who comes to Christ does so in spite of his will that is not free at all, but rather that is in bondage to sin and Satan. The Lord by His grace overwhelms our will, because our will is incapable of choosing God. He gets all the glory.
Excellent post!
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