Imagine coming upon an animal in a trap, in pain and anguish, and very afraid.  Then, imagine you set that animal free and move it to a safer place where there is more than enough good food for it.  Then imagine that you come back and find that animal in the same trap because it went after the same food as before.

Was it your desire that the animal do such a thing?  There is a spiritual lesson in this example.

Colossians 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

We were in darkness and slaves to sin and death.  But Jesus came and set us free from the snare of sin and death and translated us into His kingdom of light and life.  He gave us life, made heavenly things accessible to us, and set a table for us with good things to eat.  He did away with that old nature that was drawn to destructive things and the sin that brings death and destruction.  We are no longer slaves to sin and death.  We are no longer prisoners to the dictates of the fleshly appetites that once did us such harm and brought destruction and misery into our lives.  We get to choose how we will show up and what we will be adorned with when we do.  That is why the Scripture goes on to say,

Colossians 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. 12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

The way to show up rightly clothed with a proper attitude and readiness for the occasion is described here in these passages.  If I were once dressed in jeans that had become filthy and tattered due to what I had put them through, and I removed them and put on new ones that were clean and fresh, I would not want to do to the new ones the same things that made the others filthy and tattered.  That’s kind of the idea conveyed here.  I’ve received something very precious and valuable. It’s worth looking after.

We were at one time okay with living in ways that were not good for us or others.  We stripped that way of living off when we accepted the new life Christ offered us.  It makes no sense to go right back to that old way of living now.  I was set free from it, and I do not want to go back to it.  The reality of free or not free is really this simple. Sin and death no longer have power over us. We have to choose to go back to the things we’ve been set free from.  So, we choose whether to live “Free Or Not Free.”