~ Freedom ~

God is the head of Christ; Christ is the head of the man, the man is the head of the woman.

Jesus OBEYED God, His Father in all things. He said I do only those things which please my Father.

He said I speak not mine own word, but the Father’s which sent me. I seek not mine own will, but that of the Father.

After the resurrection, God gave to Jesus all the same power and authority which God himself has; in so much, that Jesus is called our God. (Heb. 1)

Now, do you see what took place here? God, who is the HEAD (or authority over) Jesus, gave Jesus the same place, power, and authority that God has. He BROKE the yoke off Jesus of being in the place of a servant. Jesus came to this earth as God’s Servant.

But, to be ONE, God broke that yoke, and gave Jesus EQUALITY with himself.

EQUALITY is the essence of Christianity. EQUALITY is CHARITY. This is LOVE another as yourself.

Jesus thought it not ‘robbery’ to be EQUAL with God; for God gave it to him; Jesus did not ‘take’ this power. It was a gift from God.

God is NOT jealous of our worshipping Jesus. God is not jealous of our loving Jesus. In fact, He commands us to do that.

Jesus told his disciples that he would give them the same power He had. He said they could do all the same things Jesus did and more. They proved they had this power. Peter could heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons and teach the Word in power. So could the others.

Paul raised the dead, healed the sick, preached the Word in power, cast out demons, and said His word was God’s Word.

See, Jesus GAVE them the same power he had. He passed on to them, the same power God had given him. Thus they became ONE.

Rev. 3: 21--To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Rev. 2:26---And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

v27--And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: EVEN AS I RECEIVED OF MY FATHER.

So, see that Jesus passed to them, that which he received from His Father.

Now, where is this broken?

The weak link in this chain, comes when the man is told to love his wife as himself and be not bitter against her. The proud, arrogant men, is the one not willing to pass along this chain of authority. He feels himself ‘better’ than God or Jesus; who passed it on down to the one below themselves.

Colossians 3: 14--And above all these things put on CHARITY, which is the bond of perfectness.

v15--And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body: and be ye thankful.

v16--Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom: teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

v17---And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

v18--Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

v19--Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

v20--Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

v21--Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

Servants, obey in all things, your masters according to the flesh: not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God.

v23--And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

v24--Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

v25--- BUT HE THAT DOETH WRONG SHALL RECEIVE FOR THE WRONG WHICH HE HATH DONE; AND THERE IS NO RESPECT OF PERSONS.

Chapter 4

v1---MASTERS, give unto your SERVANTS that which is just and EQUAL: knowing that ye also have a MASTER in heaven.

MASTERS GIVE TO THEIR SERVANTS EQUALITY???????

Yes!!

EQUALITY is the heart of Christianity. EQUALITY is CHARITY. CHARITY IS THE BOND OF PERFECTNESS.

Now, where is this line of giving EQUALITY broken? When it come to the man being the head over the woman.

At the bottom of this line of ‘headship’, the proud, arrogant, man feels himself above listening to a woman. He cannot give her oneness, or equality.

So, this places him there at v25, above, doing WRONG. So, he shall receive for this wrong. For, he refuses to brake the yoke of bondage off his wife’s life. He keeps her in SUBJECTION.

Neither, God, nor Paul, will make either a husband or a master of a servant give those under him their freedom; but they are breaking the line of oneness; and will receive for this wrong.

This is what the husbands are ‘bitter’ about = having to give the wife the same place of authority and freedom that he himself has. He does not love her AS HIMSELF. Indeed, he is taught by other men to keep this woman down; to hate her; to not listen to anything God reveals to her.

When he said for MASTERS to give their servants EQUALITY, it took in every place one was in authority over another. If Jesus were their MASTER; IT IS THE SAME WAY THE HUSBAND IS THE MASTER OVER THE WIFE.

He even said for the men, (father) to deal GENTLY with the children; not to provoke them. How many men do this?

1Peter 3: 7---Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them (the wife) according to KNOWLEDGE, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs TOGETHER of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

The KNOWLEDGE he speaks of here is this knowledge; that he is to release her from that bondage and pass on to her the same place of authority he has. He is to give her EQUALITY.

If he cannot do this, he is doing WRONG and will receive for that wrong. This will cause their prayers to be hindered. They are heirs TOGETHER of Grace. Under Grace she is to be free. It is under law she is COMMANDED TO BE IN OBEDIENCE AND SILENCE. They are to dwell together in LOVE = EQUALITY.

Paul said for one not to defraud another. This is why Paul could not go into a home or church and demand that they give the woman freedom. So, he said, I suffer not the woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man. Paul could not, himself give the woman this freedom from being in a place of servitude; the man, which is her head, has to concur this himself. She cannot ‘usurp’ or take by force, this freedom.

Now, if he does not, she is still under that command to obey him and keep silent. Go back to the Scripture in Col. and re-read it. She is told to obey. The servant is told to obey. The children are told to obey. BUT THEN HE TOLD THE MASTER to give to them EQUALITY; Else, they are still under the law.

The husband is to follow the pattern of God, who gave his authority to Jesus, then Jesus gave his authority to the Man--- then the man is to give this same authority to the wife. If he does not, he is doing WRONG, and he will receive for that wrong.

That is why Jesus told the woman at the well to call her husband; he was not going to go over the husband and give this woman revelation and let her go tell it to other men; unless the husband allowed it. He showed this thing here; that only the MASTER can give this release from BONDAGE.

Of course Jesus know she had no husband; but he was teaching this truth here. When he saw she had no head (husband) he gave her great revelation and let her go tell it to men. See, she was not in bondage to a husband; she was free.

Read the small book of Philemon. That is what this book is teaching. Philemon had a servant who had been unprofitable and he had run away. Paul met him and converted him to Christ. Paul writes Philemon and said he would have loved to keep Onesimus with him; but he would not do it without Philemon’s approval.

He sent Onesimus back to Philemon and told Philemon to receive him back, not as a servant, but above a servant, as a brother. But he said this is not of NECESSITY, BUT WILLINGLY. See, he could not demand that Philemon set this servant free, and give him EQUALITY; but he said for Philemon to do this willingly.

The whole principal is laid down here: the MASTER IS TO GIVE THE SERVANT EQUALITY. The husband is to give the wife EQUALITY. If he loves her as himself, and if he is obedient to Christ, he will do this. Then, she too, can teach, preach, receive revelation or any other things in Christ. He is NOT to RULE over her: he is to love her and let them be ONE = EQUALS.

My friends, this is the only way to LOVE.

Set the servants FREE. Whom the Son hath made FREE is free indeed. Who are you to keep a daughter of God in bondage to you?

By: Jo Smith  12/23/01