"Freedom without Jesus is just another wall."

      On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan gave a powerful and memorable challenge to the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev as he proudly stood in front of the Berlin Wall to a cheering crowd, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

      Two years later, on November 9, 1989, Reagan’s challenge became a reality! The concrete barrier of the cold war that had separated communist East Berlin from the West collapsed as thousands of people in mass droves crossed to the other side in jubilant celebration! Communism had finally collapsed and freedom had arrived. There would no longer be a death strip between the East and the West. No more machine guns, no more guard dogs. Although it would take another two full years before the complete physical demolition of the wall was complete, the celebration had begun! The death of Communism was now a reality!

      Freedom….This powerful seven-letter word has been the passionate driving force in the hearts of humanity for thousands of years and has caused the death of millions of people fleeing oppression. This seven-letter word is one of the most precious words in the English language, one of the most powerful words on the lips of those giving their lives to be free from dictatorship governments.

      Christian artist, Wayne Watson, reflecting on the historical fall of the Berlin Wall, composed a thought-provoking song on the subject of freedom, that causes us to think deeply about what true liberty really is. The chorus of the song gets right to the point about what Wayne believes true freedom really is……

        "Freedom. People cry for freedom. 
          But freedom without Jesus is just another wall.
         Oh-oh. Freedom. Give the people freedom.
          But give the people Jesus or they got nothing at all."

                                                                                                                                   

        Wayne is challenging us to think about what true freedom really is. Millions of people celebrated the destruction of a physical wall that tore down the barriers of an oppressive political philosophy that had kept them in bondage for many years. Humanity was no longer bound by the chains of a dictatorship that enslaved them to a government that ruled their lives from the cradle to the grave. Now people were finally free to believe and think for themselves. Surely this is what true freedom is all about!

        Two thousand years before the historic collapse of the Berlin Wall, another powerful and life-changing speech was given to a mass of people. Jesus stood before his disciples and a crowd of religious leaders and made an astounding proclamation. He declared:

                      “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free!”

       Jesus also taught about freedom and the impact it would have on our lives. However, we need to look closely at the kind of freedom that he was speaking about.

       Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

                      “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves of anyone. What do you mean, “You will be set free?”

                      Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

      Notice carefully, the reaction of the religious leaders. In Jewish heritage, being a part of the great patriarchal family of Abraham conferred a very special status on an individual. The religious leaders were astonished at what Jesus had just told them. Being in the family of Abraham gave them great dignity and value. How can Jesus dare to question that heritage? They believed they were truly free. There was no corruption and bondage to break free from!

       However, Jesus points directly at the heart of their problem, which is also our problem. Slavery to sin. The Pharisees and the Scribes looked pure and clean on the outside. They loved to boast about their own righteousness and spirituality. In their eyes they were perfectly obedient to God’s Law and they constantly looked down on the masses of other people.

       The outward image of true freedom can be very deceptive. That image of freedom was celebrated on a fall day in November when the Berlin Wall collapsed, but as Wayne Watson aptly points out in his song, “Freedom without Jesus is just another wall.”  The physical wall has been demolished but there is another wall, the wall within our souls, that is still holding humanity in bondage. That bondage is the death grip of sin!

         The human heart is in the death grip of sin until it is set free and the chains are broken by the power of Christ. Physical freedom is not enough. Humanity can celebrate freedom from oppressive governments when they fall, but “Freedom without Jesus is just another wall.”  

          Jesus offers us a freedom that no government of the world can ever give us. It is a freedom that breaks the power of corruption and sin in our hearts. It is a freedom that opens our eyes to what it means to have a living and vibrant relationship with the God of the universe! It is a freedom that allows us to dream big and experience a life of true joy beyond anything we can imagine or think! As a Christian author and a human rights activist for Iranians, I have a passion to be a voice for their freedom. It is my pleasure to fight for their human rights and write books to bring awareness to the world about their plight for freedom and justice. However, I have a very important responsibility to make sure that I also persuade them of a freedom that transcends the oppression of physical governments. The Gospel is the true freedom that every Iranian needs. It is the power of the gospel that breaks the chains of sin and liberates us from the inward corruption that is keeping us in bondage.

          I will never stop speaking out for my Iranian friends. I will always email government leaders and be a voice for political prisoners on death row, demanding their freedom. All of this is good and absolutely necessary! But I must balance out my passion with the truth of God’s Word. Jesus said, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

         This is the true freedom that humanity needs. We can never be truly free until the “walls of sin” are torn down in our hearts.