Thirst for Liberation

The church at Galatia, having been made free through their acceptance of Christ as Savior, were attempting to submit themselves to unprofitable spiritual laws, a condition that Paul called out in Galatians 5; in the first verse of the chapter, he states: "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, he writes:
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.

We can evaluate whether or not we are walking in Christ's freedom or in legalism.  We have received the love of Christ through the gospel of grace, and we should obey Him, not out of fear or compulsion, but out of faith and adoration. If we are depending on the law, rules, and regulations in order to make us holy, we are walking after the flesh - but it is the Spirit who works in us to enable us to experience true liberty by dying to self and living in the newness of life, abundant life, that Christ brings.

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Almost 250 years ago, the colonists in America threw off the shackles of British rule and declared their independence, acting on their desire for freedom. In modern-day Iran, there has recently been another indication in which people are demanding freedom from the punitive law of the country. 2nd Corinthians 3, I believe, illustrates the forces at play here:
15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Not long ago, Dr. Hormoz Shariat of Iran Alive Ministries shared about how God is working in the hearts of people within the nation of Iran.  There is an openness there, which I contend is related to a restlessness in the hearts of the people.  The oppressive regime that is devoted to Sharia law, which does not respect individual freedom and is rooted in radical Islam has cramped the hearts of the people.

And, a match has been lit within the past few days.  A CBNNews.com article relates:

On September 16th, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini fell into a coma and died following her arrest in Iran’s capital, Tehran, by the morality police. Her crime? Not properly wearing a hijab, the Islamic head-covering women are required to wear in public.

Her death sparked protests in Tehran and many other cities, often with chants of “Death to the dictator!”

"Protestors are filling the streets," the article noted, stating, "The demonstrations are the latest sign of widespread discontent with the Islamic regime."

The article goes on to say:

Scenes include women burning their hijabs and protestors attacking the police. These demonstrations follow others in 2009 as well as from 2017 through 2020. Many wonder whether these protests could potentially lead to an end to the Mullah-led regime that has ruled Iran for more than four decades.

A Washington Stand article states:

According to Lela Gilbert, Family Research Council’s senior fellow for International Religious Freedom, “Since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Iran has been governed by a radicalized variation of Shi’a Islam … Just last year, President Hassan Rouhani signed amendments to Iran’s penal code imposing prison time on those guilty of ‘insulting Islam’ and conducting ‘deviant activity’ that ‘contradicts or interferes with the sacred law of Islam.’”

Unfortunately, women subjected to living under radical Islam lose basic human rights. Iranian women are legally regarded as half as valuable as men, which, for example, makes a woman’s testimony in a court of law legally viewed as less credible than a man’s testimony. A married Iranian woman cannot obtain a passport or leave the country without her husband’s permission. Between 2020 and 2021, 31,379 girls aged 10 to 14 were forced into legal marriages.

A Facebook post from Iran Alive Ministries from five days ago says:

Iran's Sharia Law was imposed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, demanding women to remain covered and in loose fitting clothing. Sharia Law was thought to bring democracy, but "after 40+ years, they realize that the government oppresses the people, especially Iranian women," says Lily Meschi with #IranAliveMinistries.

The BBC.com website reports:

President Ebrahim Raisi pledged to "deal decisively" with the protests, which have now spread to most of Iran's 31 provinces.

Officials say some 35 people have been killed since protests broke out over the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.

Clashes continue in several cities.

Reports now indicate that dozens more have been killed since the time of that report. 

In an e-mail statement, Dr. Shariat said:

What's happening in Iran now is not solely about hijabs. It's not even about the unjust killing of Mahsa Amini — it's much bigger than that. The Iranian people are forcefully and boldly fighting for their rights.

Human rights are extremely violated under the rule of the Islamic government – most severely among the nation’s women. Forced to cover their hair according to Sharia law, Iranian woman are protesting the hijab with desperation and hopelessness. After more than 40 years of social repression and mistreatment following the Islamic revolution, many women are saying, "We have nothing else to lose. We might as well die while fighting for a greater cause."

He went on to say that...

Iranians – and women in particular — have turned against Islam and the Islamic government and that's very significant. Those who were once pro-Islam and pro-government are rejecting the oppressive regime now. They’re very open spiritually, searching for hope and freedom. This is one of the reasons we have seen a remarkable increase in the number of conversions to Christianity over the last two years.

Having been oppressed, controlled and abused by the political and religious system for so long, when Iranian women receive Christ, they truly become an agent of transformation for the Kingdom of God. They find their voice, value and identity that was violated for so long, and they commit their lives to Christ to share His goodness in their communities.

The Iran Alive Facebook page urged prayer for the situation there.

Jesus took the religious leaders of His day to task for placing burdens on the people under their authority; in His case, they exceeded the provisions of the Jewish law.  In Iran, the mullahs are just carrying out the law of the Koran, it seems.  And, people are chafing at it.  The Christian Scriptures provide a path for liberation; the holy book of Islam does not.  When you consider the thirst for liberation that is hard-wired into the hearts of human beings, the gospel provides the hope for true freedom through humility to a loving Savior. 

Laws can be beneficial - until they become burdens.  We are not under the Law but under grace - the Law given to the Jews, we are told, is a tutor to lead us to Christ.  The availability of His love and grace provide us with hope for our hearts.  

In Iran, which has bloodthirsty leadership that uses laws to enslave its people and desires to become a player on the world stage through its nuclear ambition, illustrates the fallacy of the condition in which people in power demand subservience.  Proverbs 29:2 states, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan."