Not only does Jesus refuse to fight the Roman government as he liberates his people, but he willingly gives himself as a sacrifice to them. He conquers the powers of this world by absorbing violence in himself.
In Jesus declaring the kingdom of God is at hand, we can lay aside our anxiety over sin and our efforts to conquer it on our own strength. There’s no need to fear or worry. God is becoming king again!
Some will tell you that “in God’s kingdom, up is down and down is up,” insinuating that what makes sense to our minds is not right in God’s kingdom and what is right in God’s kingdom doesn’t make sense to our minds.
They get this thought from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. Jesus tells us that when someone slaps you on the right cheek, instead of slapping them back (as the world would do), turn the other cheek to them so they can slap it also. If someone takes your outer coat, instead of grabbing it back and yelling at them (as the world would do), Christ tells us to give them our sweatshirt as well. The Sermon is full of these paradoxical instructions calling us to do things differently than what comes natural in the heated moment.
But it gets taken out of context.
Author Asher Witmer knows what it’s like to want freedom from sexual sin only to continually fail. We’re often told we need more personal discipline, that we need to think godly things instead of fleshly things.
What if I told you that discipline won’t solve your problem with lust?
Our male sexuality is given by God for advancing beauty and goodness. But somewhere along the line it becomes something that causes devastation and guilt. The good news is we don’t have to live with guilt. In Live Free, Asher Witmer shows us how we can find freedom from sexual sin, live with nothing to hide, and be able to fight for others.
