The Prison of Freedom

by Don Hatfield

but now it is. That is why you no longer want to do them. When you do fall it should only be because you have not yet learn how to let His grace and power overcome these things. He will forgive you when you ask Him. If a person does not ask for that forgiveness perhaps they should make sure that they know their Savior.” I felt relief because I knew that I no longer wanted to do those things. I was also excited to learn more of His grace and power so that in Him I could overcome them. Paul then said, “I will write a word of warning to our brothers. Let no man deceive you with vain words for because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Tychicus, there will be many who come with deceitful words and will try to beguile people. They will speak words devoid of truth. They will tell people that it is all right to lie, steal, and fornicate and even have sexual relations of those with the same sex. Do not ever forget Tychicus, that God is a Holy God and He wants His children to be Holy. People who reject Gods free offer of grace through His Son Jesus will have to face His indignation. How would you feel if you offered your greatest possession with no charge and you were rejected?” I began to understand how God had offered the best, the most precious thing that could be offered and how He would be indignant when that was refused. Would I not react in the same way?

  Next discussion, Paul then said, “Tychicus do not be like them. I will write the same thing to our saints in Ephesus.” Paul then wrote, “Be ye not therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord walk as children of light.” Paul stopped and said, “Tychicus try to explain to me what I have just written to those at Ephesus” I said, “ you have written that God does not want me to join in with them in their lying, stealing, shamelessness or any other thing that He does not approve of.” Paul said, “Yes Tychicus, that is true but why not Tychicus?” I quietly read his words over again knowing that he wanted something more from me and then I knew why. God revealed it to me. I felt tears well up in me as I said, “Because we are better than that. God in His graciousness has made us better than that. We are His children, even more we are His Holy children born of His blood. We are partakers of His divine holiness, purity, and light where before we were partakers of all that rejected His holiness.” Although I had only been saved a few days I was ashamed of the darkness of which I took part in after I got saved. I wondered how His children who had been saved for many years and yet continued to walk in darkness could stand themselves. How could they not be ashamed and repent in sackcloth and ashes if they had lived for so many years in darkness? I looked at Paul and said, “I am so sorry for some of the things that I have been a partaker of since I met my Savior.” Paul nodded and said, “We all are Tychicus, but see how glorious His grace and forgiveness is in the midst of the darkness keep looking at that and then He will change you into His likeness.” Paul then began to write, “For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth. Proving what is acceptable to the Lord.” Paul looked at me and said, “Tychicus the darkness of sin keeps us from Him but the light is only a prayer away. If we will confess and repent we can again seek Him in the light and we will began to bud and blossom. We will begin to produce fruit grown by the Spirit of God that dwells in us. Produced by the root of Jesus which has been planted in us and it will began to produce uprightness of heart and life. This vine that has been rooted in us will began to grow us into the men that God intended us to be. Our thinking will become correct, we will began to have integrity, purity of life, virtue, we will began to be all that God would have us to be. We will be the supernatural reality of God. Glory to God, Tychicus, we will prove to be the genuine thing that has become well pleasing to the genuine Savior.” I shouted, “So be it, Amen” Then we heard it, “quite down in there.” Somehow “Mr. Gruff”, must have recovered from his hangover and was back on duty but not before the Lord had provided our ink and parchment through Lucius. We both looked at each other and grinned and Paul began to write,

  Next discussion, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light for whatsoever does make manifest is light.” Paul then said, “Tychicus, you are not to be a partaker of the barren fruit that is produced in the darkness. If asked to do so you must stand and tell them that you do not want to live your life that way. Do not be self-righteous Tychicus but do not be a coward either. If you slink away or just keep quite then the darkness will only become bolder and began to brag and want acceptance for the things that are done in the dark. They will want to call the darkness light and the light darkness. You must stand for the holiness of God not in a self-righteous way but in a Godly way as your Savior did. Tychicus I am afraid that the saints will fall asleep and stumble away from the path of holiness. They will still think that they are on the path as they comprise and allow the darkness to creep in. I will try to arouse them with these next words that I write. Wherefore He says, Awake thou that sleepiest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise.” I said to Paul “do you think that we will fall asleep to the things of God?” Paul replied, “Many already have Tychicus.” Then he continued, “We must always be arousing ourselves and seeking our Father for if we do not we will become destitute of life that God gives. We will lose our force and power because we have become partakers with the darkness by not reproving them when called on to do so. Tychicus see that you walk accurately and diligently in this world based upon Gods word and not on man’s perverted reasoning. If you do you will become wiser if you do not you will become a fool or unwise. This life we live Tychicus is not a game but a real battle between darkness and light.” Paul stopped and smiled and said, “Yes, it is a battle but we are on the winning side for the outcome has already been decided. Jesus only wants us to do our part in the battle so that we can share in His glory. What a wonderful work of grace that He would allow us to join in with Him who is already the victor even though He does not need us to obtain victory. That is grace is it not Tychicus?” I nodded in in thankful agreement. Paul said, “Enough for now let us get some lunch.” We then sat down and enjoyed a wonderful lunch. Paul talked of his many travels, he told me of good times and he told me of bad times. I finally got up the nerve to ask him about the scars on his back. He said they were not scars they were trophies. He said each mark was a trophy given to him from the world when he told of the one who was not of this world. He said I who am so unholy was allowed to suffer for the name of the one who was holy. Paul looked at me and said, “Tychicus, every rebuke, every insult, yes even every stripe you may take because you told of Jesus your Savior is a trophy. For you are His workmanship, you are His shelf just like little Angel has his shelf and those insults, rebukes and criticisms are just trophies being placed upon your shelf of His grace.” We finished lunch and Paul said Tychicus let us continue so we sat back down and Paul began to write.

  Next discussion, “Redeeming the time because the days are evil. Wherefore be not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Tychicus, make use of every opportunity that God gives you. Tychicus, we only have so many days given to us and in each of those days there is much evil. There is much darkness and we may be the only light in that darkness. Be not foolish Tychicus but be wise keeping your eye on the prize. Keep in mind what the will of God is Tychicus.” Then Paul stopped and said, “What is the will of God, Tychicus?” He always had that way of catching me off guard. I stood there for a moment grasping at all kinds of things and then out of my mouth came the following. “The purpose of God is to bless mankind through His Son Jesus Christ.” Paul got this big grin on his face and said that is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. Where did you come up with that? I stood there for a moment and then quietly said, “I think it came from God.” Paul said, “I know it came from God. Tychicus, that came from the Spirit of God who dwells w
ithin you. I will now write something to our brothers about the Spirit of God that dwells in them.” He then wrote, “and be not drunk with wine wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul said, “Tychicus have you ever been drunk?” I hung my head and said, “Yes I have Paul, too many times. I did such terrible things when I got drunk. Things that I would be ashamed to tell you of.” Paul said, “in other words you did stupid and crazy things.” I responded, “Yes.” Paul said, “Tychicus when you are filled with the Spirit you will appear to world as if you are doing crazy and stupid things. They will call you mad, they will say he is taking this religion thing to far. Even some of your brothers and sisters in Christ will say now do not get too religious on us. Tychicus when you are