The Familiar Stranger - pt 4: The Spirit who brings freedom

By Alisha Wiseman

We live in a world where freedom often feels more like a concept than a reality. From war zones and refugee camps to locked-in loneliness and quiet shame, the ache for freedom runs deep. Even here in Aotearoa—where we enjoy safety and choice—many of us still feel bound. On the outside, we may be free. But inside, we’re searching.

In our series, The Familiar Stranger, we’ve been exploring the Holy Spirit—God's presence with us. We’ve looked at how the Spirit is a person, how the Spirit speaks, and how the Spirit empowers. And now, we look at something deeply human and universally longed for: The Holy Spirit brings freedom.

A World Craving Liberation

People everywhere are crying out for freedom—from oppression, violence, regimes, and silence. In places like Gaza, Sudan, and Iran, the cry is loud. But the cry is also here, closer to home, buried in anxiety, addiction, burnout, comparison, and pressure we can’t always name. It’s whispered in our self-doubt, masked behind our curated social feeds, disguised in busy schedules and performance.

We are a generation with more options, more access, and more autonomy than any before us. And yet—loneliness is an epidemic. Burnout is the norm. Many of us are deeply tired of being someone we’re not just to be accepted. The world tells us to find freedom in self-expression, self-help, and success. But even at the top, people say, “Something’s still missing.”

Paul’s words to the early church still ring true today:

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
—2 Corinthians 3:17

This verse should make us stop. Because if it’s true, then freedom isn’t a future hope—it’s a present possibility. But if the Spirit lives in us, why do so many of us still feel stuck? What does the Spirit’s freedom actually look like? And how do we access it?

A Vision of Freedom from the Beginning

To understand freedom, we need to go back to the beginning. Genesis 2 gives us a stunning image:

“Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”
—Genesis 2:25

This is biblical freedom: to be fully known and fully unashamed. No hiding. No striving. Just belonging. It’s not about doing whatever we want; it’s about being at peace with who we are, walking in intimacy with God. It’s about wholeness.

But in Genesis 3, that freedom is lost. Adam and Eve grasp for something beyond what God had given, and the moment they turn away, shame enters. They cover up. They hide. And humanity has been reaching for fig leaves ever since—stitching together self-made versions of freedom that never quite fit.

From performance to possessions, comparison to control, we chase freedom in all the wrong places. We strive to be “enough,” yet never quite feel it. We want to be secure, but find ourselves endlessly managing our image or running from pain.

Two Journeys of Freedom

One of the clearest pictures of this dynamic is found in the Exodus story. God delivers Israel from slavery in Egypt—a miraculous, sea-splitting moment of rescue. But the journey didn’t end there. While they were free on the outside, Egypt still lived inside them. They needed to be freed again—this time, internally.

As N.T. Wright says:

“Exodus tells the story of two liberations: one from Egypt, and one of getting Egypt out of Israel.”

And that’s our story too. We’re rescued by Jesus—but we’re still learning to live free. There’s the journey of getting free, and the journey of remaining free.

The first is a gift. It’s the grace of God that meets us in our mess and calls us out. The second requires transformation. It’s the slow, Spirit-led work of becoming who we really are in Christ.

That’s why the Spirit’s work is not just about dramatic encounters or powerful gifts—it’s about formation. About becoming like Jesus from the inside out.

The Substitutes We Reach For

When we’re desperate for freedom, we often turn to substitutes—what Scripture calls idols. The prophet Jeremiah says it like this:

“My people… have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”
—Jeremiah 2:13

Idolatry is building our life on something that can’t hold the weight of it. Success. Image. Comfort. Control. These things might seem to work for a while—but eventually, they enslave.

Psychiatrist Jeffrey Satinover writes:

“Idols ask for more and more, while giving less and less, until eventually they demand everything and give nothing.”

The Apostle Paul echoes this in Romans: we exchange the truth of God for a lie, worshipping created things rather than the Creator. Even good things—health, achievement, adventure—can become idols when we expect them to save us.

And even religion can become a trap. Paul writes of the Corinthian church, saying a veil covers their hearts. They’re trying to earn God’s love through performance—when it was always meant to be received.

The Spirit doesn’t give us strategies to manage our pain. He offers us transformation.

Freedom That Forms, Not Fades

In Ephesians 5, Paul contrasts two things that offer the same promise:

“Do not get drunk on wine… Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
—Ephesians 5:18

Why compare alcohol and the Spirit? Because both offer comfort, courage, relief. But one fades—and the other forms.

Alcohol numbs. The Spirit awakens. One helps you forget. The other helps you remember what’s most true.

The Spirit walks with us through pain. He doesn’t remove the ache, but He meets us in it with healing and truth. And that’s what makes the freedom of the Spirit different—it doesn’t depend on your circumstances. It’s not about your past. It’s not earned or manufactured. It’s a gift that transforms us when we turn to Jesus.

“Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”
—2 Corinthians 3:16

That veil—the thing that separates us from intimacy with God—is removed. And with unveiled faces, we are transformed as we behold Him.

“We… are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory.”
—2 Corinthians 3:18

We become what we behold. And when we spend time with Jesus—not out of duty, but in love—we become more like Him. Not perfect, but freer.

The Spirit, Our Advocate

So how does the Spirit bring freedom in real, ordinary life?

By reminding us who we are.

“The Advocate, the Holy Spirit… will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
—John 14:26

Tyler Staton puts it beautifully:

“The Holy Spirit is a particular kind of teacher: one who helps you remember… He pushes the teachings of Jesus from the head, where they can be understood, down into the heart, where they can heal.”

The Spirit is your Advocate—always speaking truth. The enemy accuses. The Spirit assures. He whispers, “You’re not forgotten. You are God’s child. You’re deeply loved.”

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
—Romans 8:16

A Closing Story

Not long ago, I was at a celebration for an old friend. As she publicly thanked those closest to her, I waited to hear my name. But it never came.

It wasn’t cruel. Just honest. I wasn’t in her inner circle anymore. But the sting lingered.

That night, I carried a quiet ache: If I’m not the friend I thought I was, who am I?

Days later, in the stillness of an ordinary morning, I let it all out before God—unfiltered, unscripted. And there, in the silence, I sensed the Spirit ask:

If your worst fear came true—if no one saw you, named you, included you—would you still be enough?

And in that moment, I remembered: I am seen. I am named. I am chosen. Not by them—but by Him.

This is the Spirit’s work. Not always flashy or loud, but often slow and steady. He reminds us. He transforms us. He leads us to Jesus.

Because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

And that freedom? It’s not a concept.

It’s a person.

It’s Jesus.