Dear Friend, it is not clear to us what you are attempting to ask through your use of the term “ritual women’s freedom.”
What if we rephrased or described your question concerning a woman’s freedom per the following: What is the difference in true freedom which a woman has when she chooses to follow Christ as her Lord and Savior, versus being a captive of a ritualistic religious system?
Although your question seems weighted toward “women’s freedom”, we will attempt to answer your question by first declaring that the foundation for this answer is built upon that great FREEDOM ANNOUNCEMENT that “in Christ there is neither male nor female“.
Let us try that approach to frame our answer and begin with declaring one of the greatest FREEDOM ANNOUNCEMENTS ever made:
– Galatians 3:27-29 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
ALL PEOPLE, since the sin of Adam are held captive and are in bondage to sin.
Freedom from the bondage of sin comes to ALL PEOPLE, male or female, through only ONE door, which is believing, trusting and following Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior.
The remainder of this answer will be directed NOT just towards women and women’s freedom, but directed to all people and all humanity’s potential freedom in Christ.
The other term which we will need to understand is the word RITUAL. This word will be used primarily as an explanation of mankind’s fallen sinful reaction and desire to provide a way through their OWN EFFORTS to please Holy God and, thus, be forgiven for their sins.
With that background let us rephrase your question:
Now your Great Question could read: What is the difference in true freedom that any person possesses when they choose to follow Christ as their Lord and Savior, versus being held captive to a ritualistic religious system of false worship?
Answer: The difference is between being a captive held in fear vs. being free from fear, and brought into a loving relationship with one’s Creator, who loves us so much that He died for us so we could be free from fear.
All humanity is born into the world captive to sin and death. This fear-framed life was passed down to us through the sin of our first parents, Adam + Eve. When Adam + Eve rebelled and sinned against God’s loving command, the sin-virus of death entered their souls [the spirit, personality and emotional part of their lives]. This sin-virus of fear and death was then passed down to their children and continues to this very day. Every newborn child cries out upon entering this world. This cry is the beginning of much pain, and many tears during an individual’s lifetime, until silenced by death.
This painful bondage has been aptly described as: Men + women all possess a tremendous burden of Guilt for their OWN rebellion against God’s commands and the harm they have caused those close to them. Because of humanity’s Guilt, all people also carry a tremendous fear of dying and standing before a Holy Righteous Perfect Judge who has recorded every sin that every person has committed in their lifetime.
Adam + Eve had ONLY ONE COMMAND to avoid the tragedy of separation from Holy God, their perfect loving Creator: – Genesis 2:15-17 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Adam + Eve rebelled against God’s command, ignored His warning and we read: – Genesis 3:6-7 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
Why was this the greatest sin and tragedy ever committed? That single sin produced DEATH for the entire human race and ultimate destruction of the first created universe, thus, it produced the greatest pain for humanity. That sin also caused the greatest pain any human being ever had or will be subjected to, the death of the Perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. To redeem sin-filled humanity and restore some of humanity, Jesus had to be separated from Holy God in death as a perfect Man for a period of time to pay the death price required for sin.
Our sin is our greatest enemy. Our single greatest need is forgiveness. Eternal death is the worst conclusion of any person’s life.
There exists no greater bondage than having to daily carry Guilt and Fear. All of us know we have sinned and are Guilty. All of us understand that in this universe there must be a perfectly righteous, moral, Sovereign God who will judge His human creation by the Moral Laws He set forth to govern His creation.
What do men and women do as this conscious awareness grows that they are Guilty and rightfully deserve death [eternal separation from Holy God]?
Once a sin is committed it cannot be uncommitted. The righteous penalty for sin is Death. Guilty men and women begin to rationalize or attempt to think about a potential solution to their Guilt and Death problem. What can be done?
Adam + Eve were the first ones to face this impossible dilemma for they were the very first human beings to sin and rebel against God’s perfect command. What did Adam + Eve do immediately upon their conscious awareness of their Guilt and rightful decree to face Death as a result?
– Genesis 3:6-9 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
Adam + Eve had absolutely no fear or guilt before they sinned and disobeyed God.
What was their first reaction when fear and guilt overwhelmed them? They “invented a religion of man-centered works” in the vain attempt to make themselves presentable before Holy God, by making a fragile, soon-to-be-useless covering of fig leaves.
Sadly, all of Adam + Eve’s descendants copied their first parents, setting up all kinds of varied worship RITUALS in the vain hope of being restored into an intimate relationship with Holy God. God rejects ALL RELIGIOUS WORSHIP SYSTEMS CREATED by men or women. And man’s futile attempted works to save himself is their rejection of God Himself, and a rejection of the finished work of Jesus Christ, the only path to salvation.
Think about this important truth-statement: Humanity, individual human beings, were created as the highest order of creation by God and made in His image. Why? God created you and me because He desired mutual, sweet, intimate fellowship with us. To accomplish that incredible blessed relationship, God made us in His own image.
God gave only ONE restriction which would SEPARATE THEM from perfect communion with their Creator.
Adam + Eve rebelled against God’s commandment using their God-like gift of limited free-will. Adam + Eve disobeyed the One command God declared was necessary to keep and remain in the perfect loving relationship which they enjoyed.
As we have seen, Guilt and Fear immediately fell upon Adam + Eve, and the seed of DEATH sprang up into their lives from their disobedience, just as God said.
Now Adam + Eve are faced with another choice. Will they continue relying on their “newly-made- false-religious-ritual” attempting to be restored into an intimate relationship with God, or would they NOW listen to God’s NEXT COMMAND?
- Genesis 3:21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.
By this action God declared for all of Adam’s descendants that God had ONLY ONE ACCEPTABLE WAY to return into blessed fellowship with Holy God: the Blood of an INNOCENT ONE must be the price to pay for SIN. An animal was killed so the skins could be used to clothe Adam + Eve.
Just as God decreed there was ONLY ONE SIN which would cause DEATH and separate Adam + Eve from God, so God began at this very first point of sin’s entry into the human bloodstream to establish there is ONLY ONE WAY back into fellowship with Him as His family member. What is the ONE WAY God decreed?
- John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
- John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
- John 3:14-16 [Jesus said]. . even so must the Son of Man [Jesus] be lifted up [crucified, innocent blood shed and die], that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Dear Friend, we can only declare that Holy Spirit’s inspired words are true. It is the Holy Spirit of Christ that eternally saves a lost soul. If the Holy Spirit is pleased to open up this great truth to your heart, and you choose to accept His gift of belief and life in Jesus Christ, you will be “born-again” by the Holy Spirit of God. This gift of spiritual rebirth is the greatest treasure any human being can ever possess!
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus, God the Son] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [Jesus, God the Son].
Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God without sin, spot or blemish, died for you, me and for every person who would simply believe, trust and follow Him. We can offer no work or ritual to save ourselves.
The INNOCENT ONE [Jesus] died for the GUILTY [you and me] so that GUILTY could be forgiven and live.
God not only has chosen to accept Jesus’ death in our place as our perfect SUBSTITUTE, but God has also chosen to CREDIT our account in heaven with ALL OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS of Jesus!
Surely, this is the Greatest Love Story Ever Told!
- John 2:1-2 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation [atonement / covering] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
What then is all humanity’s greatest freedom and blessing? To have the potential to be forgiven of our sins, and to be given a new life where one day, we will no longer have any possibility to ever sin again. This freedom from sin is sealed upon our death on earth. At that moment our complete Christ-likeness is given to us upon our entrance into heaven to be with Jesus forever.
Let us close our visit with another Great Question: Have you been spiritually born-again?
If you have not, you are STILL held captive by your sin, guilt and fear of death. As a captive you CANNOT call God your Father nor can you call Jesus your Savior and Friend.
Upon receiving Jesus Christ into your heart by faith you will be able to join all the redeemed declaring: “I am free from the fear of Tomorrow. I am free from the Guilt of my Past. I have traded my shackles for a glorious song. I am free, praise God, I am free at last.”
If you have not been spiritually born again, please drop everything else in your life which you consider to be a priority and come to Jesus. Fully surrender your life to Him. Give to Jesus all your past, present and future in loving belief that He paid your rightful sin-price of death and opened the way to be restored into the family of God.
If you have been spiritually born-again, please send us a note to tell us that wonderful news. We have prayed for you as we composed this answer. If you would like us to continue to pray for you, please include that request in your reply.
All our love to All, In Christ –
Jon + Philis + Friends @ WasItForMe.com
