Freedom - the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved. (Oxford Dictionary.)
We had a series at our church recently on finding freedom and staying free. In the final sermon on the 27th Aug 2023 I saw some parallels to walking in freedom in our country. (This is the basic outline, points and summary of the sermon with the comments about South Africa being my own reflections as I sat listening, taking notes and seeing the parallels.) For the original sermon please visit the Lighthouse Family Church You Tube Channel.
There are 2 battles – to get free and to stay free.
Getting free – from sin, from something holding you back. It’s an ongoing journey.
Staying free – this is warfare and skills are needed to stay free. We need to know what weapons to use. We need to keep watch for the enemy. We need to occupy territory. Don’t quit. Keep on pressing in. We need the desperation to stay free. Don’t give up. Be determined and committed. Push through.
These steps are all very practical and biblical. They are things of the kingdom of God.
Sometimes freedom can be elusive – some people express that they are scared of what they will expose if they pursue their freedom. This is a lie from the enemy to keep you in bondage. God is always gentle and gracious and often peels off in layers.
The past does continue to affect you. Trauma might not be healed. Trauma revisits forward.
The long hands of Apartheid are still reaching from way back in the past and into the future. We need to be able to accept that trauma is different for each person and just because we don’t see or experience trauma in a particular area or way, it doesn’t mean that others don’t! People of Colour living through Apartheid lived through incredible trauma. Many People of Colour still live through ongoing trauma in our country today. Physical or legal freedom may have happened through the laws changing, but emotional, social and psychological freedom are still an ongoing process for some people.
A comment made by someone says ‘we are not free until we are all free’, so there’s work to do for each and every South African. Different journeys, but same outcome of a free and fair country.
Often freedom is a process. The fix needs time for your body to catch up, and there will be lasting change if you walk in the right stuff for a lengthy period of time. Some need recovery and freedom from trauma inflicted on them, others need recovery and freedom from inflicting trauma on others. One good decision after another. Healing will come.
Sometimes the enemy gets a hook into us. Sometimes it can be easy to miss because we forget about small incidents that take hold of us and get stuck in our memories. So, if you are not seeing victory, ask God to reveal what the root is. Take the sting out of the triggering memory. Ask yourself, where was Jesus in the traumatic memory? Ask him to remove the hook or the root. Everyone’s story, trauma, root, triggers, fears and concerns will all be different, but they all need dealing with.
What’s the root behind Apartheid? What are the lies? So then, what is the truth? What’s the process going forward? The way out? What are the areas of vulnerability going forward? What causes the fires? The violence? Some things can be dealt with personally, but where things are systemic, it will require greater involvement from more people. There may be a need to require those in authority to write new policies into being. Once things are properly dealt with, remind yourself going forward that you have dealt with this. The ongoing work will be the mindset changes towards the new and united vision for all of us. The internal work will be visible in the external behaviour changes by all.
1. Understand what has happened
Be alert always. Our enemy never plays fair. He will always look for areas of vulnerability to exploit. He will keep trying his luck repeatedly. He will wait and he will come back again. He’s never finished trying to take us down.
In South Africa he will go after those who have been exploited to try and keep them from even thinking they can gain freedom and he will go after those who have exploited others and have not repented and those who think everything is fine when it’s not. Our enemy wants to keep divisions in place because this serves his purpose well. He will always be about ‘steal, kill and destroy!’
What are the areas of vulnerability in our country? We need to know his schemes. How can we stay alert collectively? What are the steps to take when this happens? Remember your victory is yours to maintain.
2. A set back is just a setback
Don’t go back to the beginning. Get back up again. Celebrate the gains. The enemy will try reminding you that you are not really free. Don’t listen to his lies. Remember you are forgiven in Christ Jesus.
Look how far we have come in South Africa. Yes, that’s true AND we are not at the beginning again, AND we do still have some new beginnings to make AND maybe there were some false starts or incomplete starts. There’s still work to be done. But we can keep getting up after the failures and starting again.
3. Don’t go back
Listen to good advice. You may need to step away from some people and places. But do not go back to where you have walked away from. The enemy will be waiting. Don’t enter into the enemy camp.
Where’s the enemy camp in SA? Where is the enemy camping in SA? What is his modus operandi in our country? Don’t go back to what? How are we going back into spaces that are not helpful for people in our country? When the demons from the past are ignored and not addressed, they will return repeatedly. When he has hooks in, that area won’t heal. He knows he can use it, which is why we need to be alert to his schemes. He will keep South Africa in bondage because it works to his advantage of steal, kill and destroy. So where are we blind to these schemes? What are we not seeing? Where are we being used as part of his plan? Remember our battle is not against flesh and blood (it’s not against people), but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12) He will try and distract us with our focus being on the enemy of political power. We do know that our enemy can absolutely use people to carry out his schemes, so let’s make sure we are not being used by him. He’s so subtle with his plans for destruction. He will always be looking for opportunities to manipulate situations to his advantage. We need to be very alert to his lies and schemes.
4. Fill your heart with the truth
When a lie is exposed, we need to replace it with the truth.
In South Africa some interesting things to note about the Truth and reconciliation commission that took place many years back. It was first about revealing the truth of what happened, and then only can we start to have the hope of reconciliation taking place. Not all truth was revealed because only a segment of people were involved in the commission. There’s still work to be done. There’s acknowledging of lies and truth that needs to happen.
Where there is true reconciliation, there will be unity too and that will bring true and lasting peace, not just peace like a plaster that covers a wound. Deep work and deep healing are needed. Darkness will tremble when the saints join in one song. Then all the streams flow as one river. Then brokenness will be washed away.
The enemy is getting us to fall for lies all the time in SA. Seek to know the whole truth about our past. Freedom is our inheritance in SA. For freedom he died to set us free.
The truth of South African history will help expose lies in our country. It will sustain freedom in our country. We spot the fakes by delving into the truth. Do the hard yards. Do the work of finding out and learning. Embrace God’s word. Embrace each other. How has the enemy played out his mandate of steal/kill/destroy in South Africa? Leave no stone unturned in the fight for freedom.
5. Planting seeds, growing trees (this point is not in the original sermon)
What are the seeds planted long ago in South Africa that give us the tree/s we have today? What is the fruit? We have cause and effect playing out – a seed grows into a tree. The tree produces leaves and fruit. (Andre Henry). But we can plant new seeds and grow new trees with new leaves and new fruit. Seeds can be buried and out of sight, but they grow. “Those who promote peace, have joy.” Proverbs 12:20
Where there are strongholds it’s often a lie that has been believed for years and it’s a journey to battle through to fight for the truth. We do this by being transformed by the renewing of our minds. Romans 12:1, 2. It might take a while to work towards freedom individually and collectively. We need to stay in the fight until victory comes. We need to always displace the lies with the truth.
I had a picture recently of a bathtub of water with the water being the lies, and this big heavy block of truth was dropped into the bathtub and all the water gushed out, all the lies were displaced.
In our country there is much we don’t know about our past and even the present. Stay curious. Find out the truth from a variety of sources and people. Displace the lies. Keep telling yourself the new truth so your mind can take it in and transform the brain pathways. We don’t want to be a host to the enemy that could be any part of keeping our country in bondage. Let’s not partner with any lies. But in order to get this right we also need each other to see all there is to see. It will take courage, humility, vulnerability and interdependence. But it will lead us towards an excellent future, one we have yet to see, one with real freedom for all. Keep talking. Keep learning. Keep leaning in to listen and really hear people.
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