The Fine Print: Part 2-I Pledge Allegiance to the King

Sep 8
7 min read

Part Two: False Freedom vs. True Fulfillment

What Is Freedom?

When you hear the word freedom, what comes to mind?

For me, it used to look like a bird in flight—unbound, gliding effortlessly across the sky. Beautiful. Peaceful. Free.

I pictured wild animals roaming their natural habitat. They eat when they’re hungry, care for their young, rest without permission, and avoid danger by instinct. That, in my mind, was true freedom.

But place that same wild animal in a zoo, and everything changes. Some call it beautiful bondage. They're still alive. They're still doing what they were created to do: eat, reproduce, survive. But something's missing. They were never meant to live behind glass or fences. Even with food and protection provided, they are confined.

And all of this?

It’s at the expense of someone else’s enjoyment.

Think about it we pay to see animals that roam free in the wild. Now granted, I doubt many of us are signing our families up to walk through a lion's den just to relive the story of Daniel. No, that’s not what I’m saying. (Lol)

But I am asking this:

At whose expense are you in bondage?

Because that’s how many people live today fed, clothed, and surviving... but not free.

What Is False Freedom?

Jeremiah 2:20

"Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds; you said, 'I will not serve!' Indeed, on every high hill and under every spreading tree you lay down as a prostitute." (CSB)

“Long ago I broke the yoke that oppressed you and tore away the chains of your slavery, but still you said, ‘I will not serve you.’ On every hill and under every green tree, you have prostituted yourselves by bowing down to idols.” (NLT)

“A long time ago you broke out of the harness. You shook off all restraints. You said, ‘I will not serve!’ And off you went, visiting every sex-and-religion shrine on the way, like a common whore.” (MSG)

No matter the translation, the message is clear—God is not speaking lightly.

This is the language of a broken covenant. Please hear me—it’s prophetic. The betrayal is so deep that God describes it in the most intimate and heartbreaking terms.

Why?

Because Israel didn’t simply walk away. They ran after false gods and called it freedom.

They tore off the very yoke that once marked them as God's chosen people. They mistook God's covering for control. His boundaries for bondage. His protection for oppression.

Oh Lord, forgive us. Please forgive us.

They said, “We will not serve!”

But that wasn’t a declaration of independence. It was a descent into idolatry.

And I want to pause here.

Please don’t just glance over this and say,

“Oh yeah, Zee, that was Israel—I would never tell God I won’t serve Him.” The truth is: we have. Some of us still do.

This is a call to repentance—a turning away from the old mindset. They didn’t reject God with their mouths; they rejected Him with their lives. They wanted freedom from God—not freedom in Him.

And it didn’t stop with Israel. That same spirit is alive and active today.

False Freedom in Our Culture

We still see it today—just with different packaging.

We call it self-love. Self-expression. Self-truth.

But at its core? It’s still self-rule.

It’s a culture that elevates autonomy over surrender. That celebrates doing what feels right instead of what is right. That teaches us to follow our hearts… but never asks who our hearts are following.

Here’s the hard truth:

Freedom apart from God isn’t freedom. It’s disguised captivity.

It promises liberty but delivers bondage. It parades as empowerment but leads to emptiness. It may look like choice, but it often becomes chains.

The Deeper Message of Jeremiah 2:20

This verse is more than a warning. It’s a divine lament.

Let’s break that down:

A lament is a passionate expression of grief or sorrow. It’s the outcry of a heart that’s been wounded by love denied.

That’s what God is doing here. He’s not just angry—He’s grieving.

“I broke your chains… and you used that freedom to walk away from Me.”

In Jeremiah’s time, Israel turned to literal idols—Asherah poles, Baal altars, and high places.

Today, our idols look different:

Success
Sex
Image
Control
Comfort

And yes—even freedom itself can become an idol when it puts self on the throne instead of Jesus.

God isn’t just calling out behavior— He’s calling out allegiance.

Who has your heart? Who do you serve when no one’s watching?

Let this verse sink in:

God broke the yoke of slavery… but we must choose not to return to Egypt.

Freedom in the Kingdom

True Kingdom freedom isn’t the absence of limits— It’s the presence of the King.

It’s not about doing whatever we want.

It’s about living the way we were created to live:

Under His leadership. In His presence. Within His covering.

That’s not bondage—it’s blessing.

And that’s what real allegiance looks like.

The Zoo Isn’t Eden

The zoo looks safe. Structured. Orderly. Predictable.

But that’s not where the wild things were made to be.

Likewise, many of us settle into lives that feel secure—our needs are met, our routines are in place, and on the outside, everything appears stable.

But spiritually? We’re pacing in cages.

We’ve made peace with confinement as long as it comes with comfort.

Israel did this too. Jeremiah was called to confront a people who had adjusted to life without God—but still claimed to belong to Him.

Jeremiah 6:14 (CSB)

“They have treated my people’s brokenness superficially, claiming, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.”

Let’s pause here for a second.

This verse reveals something sobering: the people were deeply wounded—spiritually broken—but the leaders refused to acknowledge it. Instead, they slapped on spiritual Band-Aids, preaching comfort instead of calling for repentance.

It was a false peace. A false freedom.

Here’s how The Message version puts it:

Jeremiah 6:13–15 (MSG)

“Everyone’s after the dishonest dollar, little people and big people alike. Prophets and priests and everyone in between twist words and doctor truth. My people are broken—shattered!— and they put on Band-Aids, Saying, ‘It’s not so bad. You’ll be just fine.’ But things are not ‘just fine’! Do you suppose they are embarrassed over this outrage? No, they have no shame. They don’t even know how to blush. There’s no hope for them. They’ve hit bottom, and there’s no getting up. As far as I’m concerned, they’re finished.” God has spoken.

Whew.

This wasn’t just a correction—it was a confrontation.

They had leaders who exchanged truth for ease, and prophets who traded repentance for relevance. The people didn’t even know how to blush anymore. That’s how far their conscience had been numbed.

And we still see this today:

Messages that offer comfort without conviction
Churches that teach blessing without obedience
Lives that look “fine” but are spiritually fragmented underneath

It’s the illusion of peace—when peace isn’t even present.

They had prophets who spoke comfort instead of correction. Leaders who offered religious routine instead of repentance.

A false peace. A false freedom.

But you were never meant to live behind bars—spiritually, emotionally, or mentally. You were created for Eden, not for enclosures.

So let me ask you again:

Have you made peace with your cage?

Repentance Is the Door to Real Freedom

Jeremiah 3:12 (CSB)

“Return, faithless Israel. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will not look on you with anger, for I am faithful… I will not be angry forever.”

Jeremiah 3:12 (MSG)

“Go and preach this message. Face north toward Israel and say: ‘Turn back, fickle Israel. I’m not just hanging back to punish you. I’m committed in love to you. My anger doesn’t seethe nonstop.’”

The hope in Jeremiah’s message wasn’t just in the warning— It was in the invitation.

God didn’t just say, “You’re wrong.” He said, “Come home.”

That’s the heart of repentance. It’s not about shame—it’s about release.

Repentance is God’s way of opening the cage we’ve settled in and calling us back to Eden-like intimacy. Back to truth. Back to purpose.

It’s the path to true fulfillment.

Because let’s be honest when we live in cycles of disobedience, guilt, or self-reliance, it’s not just exhausting. It’s enslaving. Repentance is the exit door from that cycle. It’s the return to the arms of a God who’s still committed in love.

And here’s the part we can’t miss:

True allegiance to the King requires repentance.

We don’t just pledge with our lips. We return with our lives.

It’s not just saying “Yes, Lord” on Sunday. It’s surrendering again on Monday—and every day after that.

That’s what it means to be loyal to the King. Not perfect, but willing. Not prideful, but yielded.

He’s not looking for polished performance. He’s looking for a heart that turns.

Allegiance Always Includes Judgment

To pledge allegiance to the King is to acknowledge His authority. And with authority—comes judgment.

Jeremiah 4:4 (CSB)

“Break up your unplowed ground, and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, remove the foreskin of your hearts… or My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it, because of your evil deeds.”

Jeremiah 4:3–4 (MSG)

“Here’s another Message from God to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: ‘Plow your unplowed fields, but then don’t plant weeds in the soil! Yes, circumcise your lives for God’s sake. Plow your unplowed hearts, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem. Prevent fire—the fire of my anger—for once it starts it can’t be put out. Your wicked ways are fuel for the fire.’”

This isn’t the part we like to hear.

But judgment isn’t punishment for the sake of pain— It’s purification for the sake of purpose.

God doesn’t tolerate idols because they’re offensive— He judges them because they’re destructive.

He tears down false freedom because it leads us away from Him. He prunes because He wants fruit. He disciplines because He’s jealous for us—not against us.

When we align ourselves with the King, we align ourselves with His correction. We don’t just embrace His promises—we embrace His process.

We trust His voice when it comforts and when it convicts. We believe that His pruning isn’t to harm us—it’s to heal us. To make us whole. To make us holy.

Because in the Kingdom, judgment doesn’t destroy the faithful— It refines them.

So here’s the truth: To pledge allegiance to the King means we don’t just wear the crown—we carry the cross. Because love without loyalty isn’t allegiance… and loyalty without obedience isn’t real.

But what happens when obedience puts you at odds with everyone else?

Next week, we step into the tension.

Part Three: When Obedience Looks Like Rebellion

Prayer of Repentance

Lord, Thank You for being a great Father. Thank You for being faithful. Thank You for never leaving me.

Today, I come before You asking for forgiveness. Please forgive me of all my sin—both known and unknown. I denounce every agreement I’ve made with idols, knowingly or unknowingly. I ask for Your cleansing power to wash me anew.

I call You Jehovah Mekoddishkem—the Lord who sanctifies. Sanctify me, Lord. Set me apart. I want to walk in true freedom for the rest of my life.

Bring to my attention anything that grieves Your Spirit. I trust You as my Lord. Holy Spirit, help me walk the path of righteousness. I cannot do it in my own strength.

Today, I pledge allegiance to the Kingdom of God. According to Your Word, I am an ambassador for Christ Jesus. Thank You, Lord—I am redeemed.

I choose to believe what You’ve said: “Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.”

Thank You, King of Kings. I am Yours—and You are mine.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.