Freedom in Christ
“So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” John 8:36 (NLT)
In Christ, we are free; truly free. We know this, but rarely feel that way or don’t experience it. We still walk in our old habits, our thought patterns haven’t changed, or our desires are still worldly. God’s Word is true. Then how come we often don’t experience freedom?
What does truly being set free mean?
Being set free means being released, liberated, freed, and set loose from restraint or constraint. Wow! Christ sets us free from bondage and sin the moment we are born again. This freedom is a gift. We cannot earn it or pay for it, and we cannot set ourselves free. Jesus paid the full price for our freedom. He died on the cross for us.
Simply belonging to Jesus is enough to be free. We don’t have to do anything for it. His Spirit in us does all the work. Without Jesus’s sacrifice, we would still be in bondage under the power of sin, ultimately leading to death.
“And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” Romans 8:2 (NLT)
That Jesus bought our freedom and set us free means we can walk in that freedom without looking back and without feeling guilty. In Christ, we can live in complete freedom-the freedom that ultimately leads to eternal life. Justification in Christ makes us free from the guilt of sin, by which we were bound over to the judgment of God, and subsequently bound under fears.
Why do we not feel free?
Even though Christ bought our freedom, we don’t walk in it because:
– we don’t believe it applies to us
– we think we don’t deserve it
– we don’t appreciate its value
– our minds tell us the opposite
– our experiences seem to show the contrary
– our circumstances haven’t changed (yet)
– people around us
– we haven’t laid down our old self
– we still make wrong choices
– we haven’t abandoned old habits
– …etc.
We are often so stuck to our human nature that we don’t see Christ’s freedom at work in our lives. Even though we know God’s Word says we are free it doesn’t seem to manifest in our daily living. If we want to see God’s Word become true in our lives, we should stop looking at our natural lives and start looking at Jesus.
Next, we should actively do away with our old nature and step into our new nature in Christ. This means we don’t just read God’s Word, but we ‘do’ His Word. When we embrace God’s Word as truth for our lives and walk in it, we will see the fruits of it manifested in our lives.
“Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT).
Once we have put on our new nature, our godly nature, we shouldn’t think we have arrived. The enemy prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. We ought to remain watchful even though we are free in Christ, otherwise we might slip and end up in bondage again.
“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” Galatians 5:1 (NLT).
Why are we set free?
The number one reason Jesus set us free is because “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16-NLT). After this precious gift of redemption, we are free to live a godly life. It is only when we are free that we can live righteously, in the righteousness of God.
“But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.” Romans 6:22 (NLT)
“And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” Romans 6:18 (NKJV)
This means we can live righteous even in our carnal bodies, simply because God has set us free. He has enabled us to make righteous choices and think righteously. Even if we are tempted to use harsh words or neglect the needs of our colleagues, friends or neighbors, we have received the ability to do what Christ would have done.
How do we use this freedom?
In our day and time, we see freedom as the right to act, speak, or think as we want. The worldly idea of freedom is being able to do what we want with no external obstacles; it is selfish and egocentric.
The freedom in Christ is ultimately to honor God (not ourselves) and not to be used for our benefit or cravings. Jesus’ blood is the high price paid for our Christian freedom. To show our gratitude, we can use this freedom to serve God and others, not ourselves. Christian freedom is selfless.
“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13 (NLT)
“For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.” 1 Peter 2:16-17 (NLT)
Take-away
It is by grace that most of us live in ‘free’ countries where we can express our opinion and exercise our faith in all liberality. Even though in the current decade it seems we can do whatever we want as long as it satisfies ourselves, we are reminded that our lives do not end here on earth.
We are free to live our lives, true. We should be mindful how we use this freedom, though, and remember that when we use it for Christ’s sake, we will live in freedom in the life afterwards. When we use our freedom to live against the will of God, we will live a seemingly nice and free life now, but an eternal life in bondage afterwards.
No matter our circumstances and no matter what other people tell us, God gave us the power, through His Holy Spirit, to use our Christian freedom to honor Him. As a result, we will enrich our lives here on earth and enjoy forevermore afterwards.
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