Free Indeed!


Ahh, freedom!  What a glorious word.  Take a moment to think about a time when you felt especially free.  Now consider: Jesus died so that we can be totally free, all the time.  That is part of His promise to everyone who believes in and accepts Him.  But freedom from what, exactly?



Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. (John 8:34-36 NLT)


I’m guessing that sin isn’t the first thing that the average person thinks of as the greatest threat to our freedom, but it really is.  Just like any addiction, sin keeps us trapped in destructive habits and behaviors that enslave us no matter what our outward circumstances.  And when we allow Jesus to free us from that sin, the shackles come off and we are no longer bound to do those things that we couldn’t resist before.  What a relief to have that burden lifted!  And that’s why Jesus’ promise to liberate us from our sin is so awesome.

 

Bondage is everything that Jesus died to free you from… [He] died to free us from the things of the flesh and sin. (excerpt from Fellowshipping With the Holy Spirit pt.2, by Dr. Chester C. Pipkin Jr.)


Even after all that Jesus has done to give us such freedom, there’s still a crucial part that we play in determining to what degree we experience that liberty: we have to choose to live free.  One way I’ve heard it put is that Jesus opened the jail cell, but it’s up to us to walk out- He won’t drag us!  Or, as the scripture says,


Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1 NKJV)

Whichever way you look at it, Jesus gave His life so we could have the priceless gift of true freedom.  Let’s make the most of it by choosing to walk free from sin today!