True Freedom
A Sermon by the Rev. Ryan M. Sandstrom
Lessons: Revelation 21: 1-8, 22-27; Divine Providence 81; New Jerusalem
and its Heavenly Doctrine 143; True Christian Religion 478
And the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of
God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light. (Revelation 21: 23)
M
y three-year-old daughter, as young as she is, has come to develop a taste
for certain things. She has clearly identified things she likes and things
she doesn’t like. The other day she came running to me, all terrified, from the
other side of the house and told me that she had seen a HUGE spider in her
room and she wanted me to take care of it. So I went to check out this huge
spider, which was about the size of a bread crumb, and I got rid of it.
What I found fascinating is that she knew there was something dangerous
about the spider. How did she know? Did someone tell her to watch out?
Maybe she copied a reaction that someone on TV had to a spider. Or maybe
it was simple intuition. However she knew, her reaction was to get away and
keep safe. And that’s a good thing!
Now think of all the things you see in the world that you know are
dangerous. It could be anything ranging from certain animals, plants, places,
and even types of people based on their behavior. For the most part, we can
identify danger and types of evil when we see it. And like my daughter to the
spider, we react to these things in a certain way. Our reaction is actually quite
important because it prompts us to get to safety. We know how to get away
from danger and be free from it. After all, isn’t that what we want – to be free
from danger, free from evil?
The idea of freedom is the theme of this sermon. It is also the theme for
the final vision of the Lord we are given in Revelation 21: 1-8, 22-27. As you
read this, imagine what it must be like to get to the other world and experience
freedom and safety like you never have before.
This is the last of seven visions of the Lord throughout the book of
Revelation. All the previous visions (the Son of Man in the midst of seven
lamp stands; the Lamb as though slain with the scroll; the Mighty Angel with
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