Searching for Freedom

In Galatians 5, the apostle Paul offers this instruction:
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Later in the chapter, we can read:
4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

Christ has brought freedom to us - the freedom not to do what we want, but to experience a life with no boundaries because our lives are hidden in Him.  He has made us free and He is continuing to make us free - in other words, we can be free from the past and we can successfully reject the power of indwelling sin that would hold us back in our spiritual growth.  The knowledge of God's truth will enable us to experience freedom and joy, according to His nature and for His glory.

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The Lord Jesus offers to the believer in Him a sense of freedom, the capacity to walk in forgiveness
from past sins and to experience victory over the power of sin. Hebrews 12 challenges us:
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

A magazine website describes a certain British comedian and actor, saying he "has been known for his uniquely raunchy brand of shock comedy...," according to a piece on the Relevant Magazine website, which also describes him as an "all-around provocateur."

But, he now says, “My personal feeling is the teachings of Christ are more relevant now than they’ve ever been.”

The magazine article depicts the turnaround in the life of actor Russell Brand beginning around 15 years ago:

Already having been arrested a dozen times for drug-related incidents, Brand was caught shooting up heroin in the bathroom during an office Christmas party by his agent, who knew that Brand’s life was now legitimately at risk.

After an intervention orchestrated by his agent, Brand embraced recovery—not just as a means of getting clean, but as a way of seeing the world. The experience radically changed him, and he’s since become an advocate for what’s known as the 12-step program, an addiction recovery method based largely on Christian principles that is centered on a reliance on a higher power, self-reflection and forgiveness.

The program transformed Brand’s life. And in the years since he discovered it, Brand began to see everything through the lens of the 12 steps.

Brand has written a book called, Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions.  And, it seems he is pointing to Christ in relation to this freedom.  Brand is quoted as saying:

“Because I come from a Christian culture, a lot of the language of prayer that I use is Christian,” he explains. “I say the Lord’s Prayer every day. I try to connect to what those words mean. I connect to what the Father means. I connect to what wholeness means to me. I think about the relationship between forgiveness and being forgiven and the impossibility of redemption until you are willing to forgive and let go.”

The article says that "the teachings of Jesus" have helped Brand "understand modern cultural addictions—and how to free ourselves from them—in much deeper ways." It goes on to say:

One of these ways is, in his words, seeking “Christ consciousness”—a concept that Paul refers to as, and many Christians would call, achieving “the mind of Christ.” Essentially, becoming more Christ-like ourselves.

“If Christ consciousness is not accessible to us, then what is the point of the story of Jesus, you know?” he asks rhetorically. “He’s just a sort of a scriptural rock star, just an icon. Unless Christ is right here, right now, in your heart, in your consciousness, then what is Christ?”

And, Brand philosophizes about the potential change in culture that can result from developing a mindset consistent with the Kingdom of God:

“I do think a spiritual and transcendent change is required for people to be free from addiction,” he says. “And by spiritual change, I mean the transition from one’s life being predicated on self-fulfillment to a life predicated on service, which for me is a moment-to-moment struggle.”

Brand says: "...when you are disavowed of the illusion that the material will fulfill you, you enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is spread upon the Earth.”

Brand apparently has been on a spiritual search for a while, it seems.  Just last summer, he engaged with noted apologist Alistair McGrath in a podcast called, "Is There Any Point in God?"  A Premier Christianity article on the conversation, written by Heather Tomlinson, said this:

It’s a conversation that I believe reflects a shift in the wider cultural debate – at least in certain groups. Brand (and others) appears to be moving away from Christianity-bashing and science-worship, toward a recognition that there's a deep lack in our modern secular consumerist culture that needs to be filled. With this fresh understanding comes an openness about who or what should fill it. Hence Brand exploring all the options, Christianity included.

If you listen to Brand’s musings via his multiple social media outlets, he’s been engaging with spiritual questions for some time now. He's clearly interested in issues of consciousness and the divine. Many of his comments could be classed as leaning toward a 'New Age' perspective. I feel a lot of empathy with Brand’s position and his questions, because I came from a similar philosophical and cultural starting point before I became a Christian.

So, the actor certainly seems to be concerned with spiritual matters, and the Relevant article does indicate that he desires to develop a "Christ-consciousness" in his own life.  So, what can we take away from these comments for our own lives?

Well, first of all, let's explore this notion of a "Christ-consciousness."  We certainly should strive to be aware of His presence consistently, seeking Him, learning His Word, and allowing His Spirit to guide us daily.  And, we should be intent of being, as Romans 12 says, "transformed" by the renewing of our minds.  And, as the Relevant article suggests, we can take hold of the truth of having the "mind of Christ," which is a phrase from 1st Corinthians 1.

We can also think consistently about the concept of the Kingdom of Heaven.  We have become citizens of that Kingdom while also being a citizen of this world - we have a dual citizenship, but our ultimate home is in heaven. Cultural transformation can occur as God's people earnestly pursue the truth and seek to live it out.

And we live it out with a sense of freedom - from those things that hold us back, from those barriers to spiritual growth, from the power of indwelling sin, and the shame of past sins.  This is what Jesus offers - a life of triumph and joy, rising above those things that ensnare us.