Finding True Liberty Under His Lordship
Have you ever watched a kite dance in the wind? It doesn’t soar by breaking free from the string that holds it—it reaches its highest potential because it is tethered. The tension is not a restriction but a lifeline. Without it, the kite would spiral out of control, crashing instead of soaring.
This paradox reflects one of the most profound truths in the kingdom of God: true freedom is not found in breaking away from authority, but in surrendering to it. The greatest liberty we will ever know comes through absolute submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
The Weight of His Name
When we turn the pages of the New Testament, a striking reality emerges. The title “Lord” is not a mere religious formality—it dominates the text, appearing 622 times, with over 100 occurrences in the book of Acts alone. In contrast, “Savior” is mentioned just 24 times. This is not an oversight. It is a divine emphasis that demands our attention.
"Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11)
The early church understood something we often miss. When they declared, “Jesus is Lord,” they weren’t offering a polite religious sentiment. They were making a radical, life-altering proclamation of allegiance to a new King—one that often cost them everything. In the Roman world, to say “Kyrios Iesous” (Jesus is Lord) was a direct challenge to Caesar’s authority. The term “Kyrios” carried the full weight of absolute rule—the right to command, the power to transform, and the sovereignty to reign.
Jesus is not merely a gentle shepherd who saves. He is a King who rules.
Freedom’s True Face
Yet the One who holds all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18) stood in a humble synagogue in Nazareth and declared:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim liberty to the captives..." (Luke 4:18)
His mission was not just to establish His authority—it was to set captives free.
Look at the woman bound by a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years (Luke 13:10-17). She had learned to live with her bondage, bowed under its weight, never expecting to stand upright again. But Jesus didn’t just heal her—He broke the oppression that had held her for nearly two decades and declared, “You are free.”
The religious leaders were outraged—how could He do this on the Sabbath? But Jesus revealed a profound truth:
True Lordship always leads to freedom.
The world deceives us into thinking that submitting to authority means losing freedom. But in God’s kingdom, the opposite is true. The deeper our submission to Christ, the greater our freedom.
The Holy Fear That Sets Us Free
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10)
This fear is not a paralyzing terror—it is a holy reverence that awakens us to truth. It shifts our perspective. We no longer see His commands as restrictive chains but as protective boundaries. His authority is not a heavy yoke but a secure foundation.
A train does not find freedom by jumping off its tracks. It finds freedom by staying on the path designed for it. Without the tracks, what was meant to move with power and purpose becomes a wreck. In the same way, our lives only move with true freedom within the boundaries of His will.
The Divine Paradox
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17)
This verse holds a divine tension. The same Spirit that establishes Christ’s Lordship is the very Spirit that brings freedom. It’s not freedom from authority—it’s freedom through authority.
When we submit to His Lordship:
- We are freed from the burden of self-reliance—no longer striving to control what only God can.
- We are delivered from the bondage of sin, no longer enslaved to the patterns that once ruled us.
- We are set free from the fear of man, no longer living for human approval but for God’s purpose.
- We are released into our true calling, no longer wandering but walking in His divine direction
The enemy deceives us into thinking that freedom is found in self-rule, but that kind of living only leads to exhaustion, confusion, and bondage. Christ offers something far greater—a life anchored in His wisdom, sustained by His grace, and directed by His perfect will.
The Path to True Freedom
So how do we walk in this paradox—finding true freedom by submitting fully to His Lordship? It begins with a fundamental decision:
We must recognize Jesus not just as Savior, but as Lord.
- Surrendering our will to His wisdom
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5) - Embracing His authority as protection
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105) - Walking in holy fear that leads to freedom
“The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied” (Proverbs 19:23)
A Call to Freedom
Today, you stand at a crossroads. Will you continue seeking freedom on your own terms, or will you embrace the paradox of true liberty under His Lordship?
Jesus did not come simply to save—though that would have been more than enough. He came to rule and reign, to transform and set free.
When we bow before Him as Lord, we don’t lose freedom; we find it. When we surrender to His authority, we don’t become less; we become who we were always meant to be.
This is the paradox of the Kingdom: In His Lordship lies our freedom.
"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36)