By Elias Aslaksen To the church in Hønefoss, and to any of the other saints. Peace from God! There is much talk about bondage and liberty, but not much clarity in the matter. There are two clear signs of bondage:1. I am being compelled to do something against my will, and2. It is totally divorced from faith. The born-again person has received a will that is the opposite of the will of a natural person, opposite to the lust that is in our members. Therefore for him commandments (which usually have to do with bondage) can be in harmony with the perfect law of liberty. A commandment that is in agreement with my heart’s desire and united with faith has nothing to do with being in bondage to the law. If I exhort continually, I must assume that the ones being exhorted have faith in God and love to follow Jesus Christ and are therefore thankful for such encouragement, knowing that the flesh is weak even though the spirit is ever so willing. When I confess that I have given my life to Christ and am following His steps, I am saying that I am thankful for a continued urging to sacrifice myself. If this is difficult, I love the person the most who is the most tireless in this work with me. See Acts, the last part of Chapter 20. I do not mean to say that I have loved you with such a great love as is mentioned in verse 31—but only in the same direction, and I know nothing that could be more precious to me that could influence me more in that direction—as truly as it is true in me that I love God and not myself. There are two things to exhort to. The one thing is: to love, which means to hold fast to what I have done; namely, that I was baptized into the death of Jesus Christ and have presented myself as a sacrifice. Rom. 6:3. The other thing is to run. The goal of both exhortations is the same. When someone who associates with us complains about bondage, our words and deeds must either be the result of self-righteousness and self-sufficiency, or those who complain must be unwilling to be sacrificed—either the one or the other! Read Galatians 3:12: “Yet the law has nothing to do with faith.” Seeing that we have to do with faith in everything, we have nothing to do with the bondage of the law, but we are free; and as free—according to the desire of our heart—we make every effort to increase in virtue, because the law of liberty which we love, tells us that judgment will be unmerciful to the person who has been unmerciful. The more merciful we have been, the more mercy we will be shown. When we know this, we will also be blessed in our works. The more works, the greater the blessedness. Jas. 2:12-13; Jas. 1:25. If people complain about a lack of zeal for doing works, I wonder what would be said if we became more zealous for good works, as it is written? “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” 1 John 5:3. “Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you . . . .” Matt. 28:20. “For you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.” 1 Thess. 4:2. “These things command and teach.” 1 Tim. 4:11. “Command those who are rich . . . .” 1 Tim. 6:17. “I command you . . . that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless . . . .” 1 Tim. 6:13, 14. An upright person needs to have boundless love in order to command and exhort, correct and punish—considerably more than he needs in order to proclaim peace. Therefore the very ones who work along these lines (2 Tim. 4:2; Tit. 2:15; 1 Tim. 4:13) are to be esteemed the most; they are worthy of double honor. 1 Tim. 5:17. However, it can hardly be done heartily by someone without the person seeing the exceedingly great value of being worked on in the direction of losing his life. Some people speak about “pressure” in the assemblies. There can be “pressure” which is the pressure of bondage on an unwilling and hopeless slave, but it is pressure to work for a willing, devoted, and believing soul whose heart’s desire is to be conformed into the image of Christ in His death—contrary to the desire of his flesh. And this flesh breathes heavily, breaking out in a cold sweat leading to death. Even if there is ever so much judgment there is still no curse and no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus; therefore they are free from the condemnation of the law and consequently also from bondage. All those who know in whom they believe and what they believe praise God for it, saying, “Yes and Amen.” As far as I am concerned, I am unspeakably glad that I am not tired, and that I am not tired of any of you in any way—and I expect not to be that either. I also hope that you are not tired of me and my words, but that you in some measure have a love for that which is incorruptible and everlasting in you. Then I know that you will not grow tired. There is always a reckoning, and the person who holds a reckoning with himself on an on-going basis and whose accounts are in order is always prepared to be held to account, and therefore he is never put to shame. Many voices and testimonies, besides people’s lusts and ways, have given me a pronounced desire to write to you about these matters, as my desire to be among you has also become stronger. The only thing that profits anything in Christ is faith and love (everything that these two characteristics contain and include). Gal. 5:6. And where these two things are present, there is an immense workshop, and in this workshop there is an earsplitting noise because of the work that is going on. In this workshop, things are being melted and hammered. The church is this workshop. If you love, and if you have faith in God that He will do His work in you, then you are free and not a slave, for bondage has nothing to do with faith and love! Therefore abide in liberty and fight and labor in your faith and love, and you are blessed! Never let anyone tell you that you can love (sacrifice) too much, that you can believe too much. I am afraid that it will be fairly hard for you to become fully-taught. If you will be, it is well. In any case you can go far—further than you suspect! Have faith in God! Love Him! Let this letter be read by you all, one by one, and by anyone whom it concerns. I would like to hear from every one of you.