“Genie, You’re free.” What exactly did the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences mean by that phrase? And what exactly do hundreds of thousands of people mean by it when they repeat it? Do they believe that Aladdin’s Genie is personified by Robin Williams? Yes, in some ways I believe they do. Do they believe saying the phrase will bring comfort to those who are mourning the loss of Robin Williams? Yes, I believe they do. Are those who are repeating this phrase comforted by it themselves? Yes, I believe they are.
But why? Do they believe Genie freed himself from his prison (lamp, life, suffering, etc.)? If they do, they are wrong. Genie couldn’t free himself from his lamp or his life through death anymore than he could free himself from his suffering by continuing to live. Genie couldn’t free himself—he was held captive to a power mightier than himself. Genie needed a stronger power than himself for deliverance.
Maybe the inference is that death itself freed Genie from his lamp (life)? If they do, they are still wrong. Death couldn’t free Genie from the captivity of his lamp of physical life through physical death anymore than Genie could. Do some people believe that Death freed Genie from his suffering? Yes, I believe they do, or want to believe it, anyway… Did Death free Genie? No. Genie always was, and still is, held captive by Death. Destroying the lamp doesn’t free the Genie. Destroying the body doesn’t free the soul. Death doesn’t just end this life—it begins eternity.
Can Death free Genie to a life, or an existence, which has no suffering? No. To say Death can free Genie is to give Death an authority, power and victory it will never have. Genie, rather than being freed by Death, is still held captive by Death, simply in a different cell… Genie couldn’t be freed by Death—Genie was ultimately held captive by a power stronger than Death. Genie needed a mightier power than Death to free him.
The only reason Death has any power over human beings is because of sin. The only power Death has is the power of physical death and the eternal captivity that comes with it. One day… soon… it will lose even that (over those who have chosen Eternal Life). Death, and everyone who is dead, loses everything—including peace—in the end. Death has already been defeated by the Dread Champion. Death will eventually be abolished by the Divine Warrior. Death is defeated by the One Who gives Life… The One Who is, and gives, Eternal Life… Eternal Freedom to live. Death will be abolished by the One Who is the Most Powerful and Who will reign forever—The Lord God. Freedom is in Life—not in Death… Life is found in the Savior—the One Who has power over Death and Life. Death gets no glory—It all belongs to God!
A blameworthy belief is behind the phrase that pandemic masses of people are prescribing as a home-remedy for comfort. The phrase is an insidiously toxic lie that will continue leading others down the path to never-ending suffering…
Only The Truth can set you free—God’s Word is Truth—Jesus is the Word…
When Adam and Eve sinned, they owed God something—their lives! The wages of sin is death! Romans 6:23 When you sin, you have to pay with your own death!
Sin came into the world through one man → Adam. And death entered into the world through sin. Think of it this way: Adam is standing inside a room with a door that is closed (world). Adam hears a knock at the door (Satan). Adam opens the door and finds a package sitting on the stoop outside the door. He picks up the package and brings it inside. Although his first mistake was opening the door (listening to Satan through Eve), he steps into real trouble by bringing the package (sin) inside of his room (his world).
Little did he know that inside of the package of sin was another enemy called “Death”, which would extensively compound his troubles! By bringing the package inside, he brought the contents inside as well. Death came into our world inside the package of sin. The package was unwrapped way back during the lifetime of Adam, but sin and Death are still at large on our planet today!
Adam tried to fix or cover up what he had done (sin) with fig leaves but to no avail. The only thing that could cover sin was blood because the life is in the blood. God sacrificed an animal on Adam and Eve’s behalf to cover their sin because without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. Leviticus 17:10-11; Hebrews 9:22 However, the substituted blood of an animal could never take away their sins. Hebrews 10:4 They needed a Kinsman-Redeemer who could be their Savior, so God promised He would provide One—The Seed!
The Promised One—The Seed, Who brought Life where death existed, gave His Own life so the person who owed his death (the wages of his sin) would not have to.
The Promised One was really the Son of God and was called Jesus when He became incarnate (put on flesh) and was born of a human virgin. He was born with perfect, untainted, sinless blood and lived a sinless life to maintain His pure blood. Then, Jesus offered His innocent blood as the once-for-all atonement to satisfy a Holy God. God accepted Jesus’ spotless blood and now offers salvation to any who will believe in His Son’s perfect sacrifice on his or her behalf.
Rather than believe Dr. World’s culpable diagnosis and take its impotent home-remedy for eternal pain, follow God’s faithful diagnosis and prescription. (I am addressing those who believe freedom comes through any means other than the death of Jesus, including their own.)
Believe what God says about Himself in His Word, the Bible. Believe what God says about your condition regarding sin and death in His Book. Believe what Jesus, His Son, has done to set you free from sin and death. Repent from living your own life and obey God, instead. Trust in Jesus’s finished work for freedom from sin and death.
It is the year 2014 and the Truth is still the same as it was when Frances J Crosby published this song in 1875. (Copyright: Public Domain)
To God be the Glory, great things He hath done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.
Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.
