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Five Characteristics of Those Who Endure Freedom
This article was adapted from a teaching by Mike Haley, Focus on the Family staff member and Exodus board chair, at the 2002 Exodus International - North America Enduring Freedom Conference. Mike asked several Exodus ministers what qualities they found in people who were the most successful in their journey out of homosexuality and presented his findings

en - door - to hold up under pain or fatigue

free ∙ duhm - an exemption or liberation from the control
of some other person or some arbitrary power

There are 111 references to freedom in Scripture.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8.36
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then,
and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5.1

1. Those who endure freedom have a different motivation.

Bob Davis - "Goes beyond just a commitment to change to a no matter what mentality. No matter what, no matter how hard it is, no matter how long it takes."

Alan Medinger - "It's a willingness to endure prolonged struggles and deal with hurts of the past - a willingness to walk through the fears and the failures that inevitably accompany growth."

Jeff Konrad - "People that seek to endure freedom, these people are desperate for change."

True change occurs when the pain of remaining the same becomes greater than the pain of changing. Nobody told us that the process would be easy, or that there would be no disappointments along the way. In John, Chapter 5 we read about the man who lay paralyzed at the pool of Bethesda for 38 long years. Though he wanted to be the first to enter the pool when the water was stirred, time after time he saw others receive the healing that he longed for. He didn't become disillusioned with the pool and leave. He kept trying. Jesus' offer of healing encompasses so much more than our physical healing. It requires forsaking the familiarity and sinful security of our brokenness. We can no longer remain on our matt disengaged from the responsibilities of life. People who endure lasting freedom are willing to undergo the trials they will face between Egypt and the Promised Land. They realize that only Jesus can empower them to walk into the unfamiliar and embrace the new challenges.

2. Those who endure freedom have different goals.

Sy Rogers - "They have a persevering determination towards the right goal in order to make it regardless of setbacks, struggles, or being misunderstood. Anyone who overcomes any major life controlling issue must have the guts to be uncomfortable for a season, accept that growth and recovery both take time, and one must never give up. A key factor is knowing that the goal was not overcoming homosexuality, it was drawing near to and obeying God."

John Paulk - "Those who make it successfully out of homosexuality don't merely want the quality of their lives better by leaving homosexuality, their motivation to leave must be love for God alone. The goal is to align your life with Jesus in obedience. When we put our healing as a main focus we are often let down."

The true goal of those who experience enduring freedom is to walk with Jesus Christ in love, holiness and obedience. They realize that the opposite of homosexuality is not heterosexuality, it is holiness. If, in the midst of their walk with Christ, they happen to receive freedom from their same gender attractions, that is an added blessing. Would we be willing to walk with Him if we knew that we would struggle with same sex attractions with the same intensity for the rest of our lives? Those who put their relationship with Christ and their obedience to Him first say, "Yes!" In all our temptations, Jesus provides a way of escape. Philippians 3:14-16 reads, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained." Many of us think differently than God on many issues in our lives. Our life of faith calls us to love and trust Him and walk in obedience to His ways. In due time, God's wisdom will become evident to us as we see the results of living our lives for Him. Breathe each breath living up to what "we have already attained" in Him and He will give you much more.

3. People who walk in enduring freedom have different relationships.

Sy Rogers - "No one achieves success in reaching a goal all by themselves."

Ricky Chelette - "They have a willingness to participate and give to the community of believers."

John Smid - "People who move forward have a successful connection to others like and unlike themselves."

Hebrews 10:25 reads, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching." We need healthy interaction with those in the Body of Christ that are both like us and who are different than us. Those who are like us provide the encouragement and common ground that we need to be refreshed. Those who are different than us challenge us to make the necessary changes in our lives and teach us new ways of thinking. They also teach us new ways to make valuable contributions to others. We also need accountability. James 5:16 exhorts us to "confess our sins to each other and pray for each other so that we may be healed". Those who hold us accountable are the precious few members of the Body of Christ that we have given special permission to ask us the difficult questions and to pray with us when we’re in the battle. They know our strengths and weakness; our victories and failures. They are the ones who lower us through the roof to Jesus when we don't have the strength to reach him on our own. The Body of Christ is not responsible for our healing - that is between us and God - but they walk with us and point us to the One who can heal. It is our job to respond. It is also our job to initiate and give back to the Body of Christ. That is something that anyone can do no matter what stage of their journey they are on. We don't have to be completely healed to help with the chair ministry or sweep the floor on a church work day. Such jobs can give us an emotional boost as they get our minds off of ourselves.

4. People who walk in enduring freedom have different actions.

Alan Medinger - "They're willing to suffer pain, willing to deal with hurts of the past, and will walk through the fears and failures that inevitably accompany growth."

Anne Paulk - "They are willing to face and forgive sins committed against them."

Sy Rogers - "They have taken responsible action, getting educated about the issues and the solution; understanding the practical, responsible, and beneficial ways of managing human issues like loneliness and lust, cultivating self-control under pressure, and depending on God's grace in time of weakness."

Jeff Konrad - "These people are proactive and not reactive."

Those who walk in enduring freedom push through and persevere during the hard times by the grace of God. They don't give up when change doesn't seem to be happening as fast as they would like, or when God doesn't do things the way they think that He should. They continue to pray and share their hearts with God. They continue to read their Bible, worship, and live a holy life. God could make our wounds and illicit attractions disappear instantly, but He has a deeper, eternal purpose in mind. John Smid, director of Exodus ministry Love in Action, calls 2 Peter 1:3-11 the "Recovery Passage". He notes how many parts of that passage call us to take action and accept responsibility in our own recovery.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

5. Those who walk in enduring freedom have a different passion.

Bob Davis - "They possess a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ."

Anne Paulk - "People who are successful are people who rely on what God says and not on their own errant feelings."

Anita Worthen - "The people that succeed are people who have a hunger for God."

Alan Chambers - "They have a desire to be obedient to Christ first and foremost."

Ricky Chelette - "A wholehearted commitment to Christ."

Randy Thomas - "Not just knowing God, but loving Him."

Jerry Armelli - "Those that endure freedom are those that personalize Jesus' life death and resurrection in their recovery dynamics."

There are forces that are constantly working against us. We need a passion for Jesus to keep us moving forward. 1Peter 5:8 reads, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." The enemy is trying to completely destroy us with any means necessary. If he can't keep us addicted to sin, he will try to get us addicted to religion. If he can't keep us from reaching out to those in the Body of Christ who can walk with us and encourage us, he will try to use the Body to inflict wounds. Only an undying passion for Jesus Christ can carry us through the difficult times. It is critical that we spend time sharing our hearts with God in openness and honesty. As we spend time in His presence, we will become more like Him. We need to keep our focus on Jesus and not on the things of this world. 2 Timothy 2:4 says, "No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs - he wants to please his commanding officer." It is critical for us in recovery to keep our minds focused on the things in our lives that are important to Jesus and not on diversionary pleasures. Jesus came so that we may have an abundant life. He will give us times of recreation and pleasure, but they will be in pursuits that will be safe for us and pleasing to Him.

Passionate enduring freedom is a strong desire to live, taking on the form of a readiness to die to our own desires. What is our Lord commanding us to do? The famous missionary, Dr. Livingstone was serving the Lord in the deep jungles of Africa. He received a letter from his missionary society in England which asked him, "Dr. Livingstone, have you found a good road to where you are? If so we want to send some other men to join you." Dr. Livingstone replied, "If you have men that will come only if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all." That is what the Lord is calling us to do. There are times in our walk when we don't see the road. We may not even be convinced that God has a road for us at all. It is during that time that we need to be passionate for Him and trust Him to lead the way.

Are you living specifically for Jesus Christ?

Are you desperate? Do you have the right goal? Are your relationships what they need to be? Are you being proactive or reactive? Are you passionate for Christ and Him alone? Do you desire to walk in enduring freedom? You do have a choice!

If you would like more information about Reconciliation Ministries, or any of the ministries we offer, visit us on the Web at www.recmin.org, or call (586) 739-5114. You may also e-mail us at info@recmin.org. All correspondence will be kept strictly confidential.

Our office is located at 25410, in Roseville, Michigan 48066.

Reconciliation Ministries is an affiliate ministry of Exodus International, and uses many of the programs written by Desert Stream Ministries.