The concept of freedom is highly valued among human beings. We like to talk about our right to be free and act as we want. However, only with Jesus can we have true freedom, that which springs from the depths of our being. John 8:36 says:
So, if the Son releases you, you will be truly free.
What does it mean to be truly free? What does Jesus free us from? Let’s look at some of the freedoms we can enjoy from the moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Let’s learn to live in our freedom!
In Christ we are free
1. Condemnation and guilt
Jesus carried all our guilt, our, sins and condemnation upon dying on the cross (Isaiah 53). It is thanks to his sacrifice and resurrection that we are cleansed from all our sins. We just have to accept him as our Lord and Saviour in our hearts! By doing so we will have the opportunity for a new beginning here and the security of an eternal life.
When we receive his gift of salvation by faith we are telling him that we accept his sacrifice on our behalf and that we know that it is enough. We do not need to do anything else to be saved! Nor do we need to live with the burden of guilt for past sins. In Christ we have a new life and we become children of God, redeemed by him and for him.
2. Of the dominion of sin
Darkness or sin have no more power over us thanks to Jesus and his work of redemption for all on the cross. In Christ we have total forgiveness and the new life in him is one in which his light guides us and we no longer have to walk in darkness (John 8:12).
Thanks to that change in our being we can make the right decisions. The Holy Spirit guides us and shows us what pleases God and helps us to live in His will.
So I say to you: Live by the Spirit, and you will not follow the desires of sinful nature.
(Galatians 5:16)
With God’s help we can live a life of holiness (Romans 6: 20-23). We do not have to heed the lies and accusations of the devil regarding our past or his insistence on the power of our sinful nature. The Holy Spirit dwells in us, helps us discern between good and evil and gives us the strength to do what pleases God. We belong to the kingdom of light, the kingdom of heaven that is within us!
3. Of eternal death
In Christ we have the gift of eternal life! We do not deserve it nor can we win it with our efforts, but he grants it to us from the moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Death no longer has power over us because Christ defeated the clutches of death with when he resurrected from death. Our physical body is mortal, but our soul will live with Christ for eternity.
I certainly assure you that he who hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged, but has passed from death to life.
(John 5:24)
4. Of fear
God longs to free us from our doubts and fears. He doesn’t want us to live in chains for Him or anyone else. He has put a potential in each of us and wants us to use it for His glory. Like the psalmist David, we can experience God’s freedom by seeking His face and presence, spending time with Him and letting Him fill us with His Holy Spirit.
For God has not given us a spirit of shyness, but of power, love, and self-control.
(2 Timothy 1: 7)
Fear and weakness do not come from God. But power, love, and self-control, yes they come from God. When great challenges come to our lives we need to remember that our Father is Almighty. He gives us the strength and power to reject fear! We count on His help at all times and we know that in His name we will have the victory.
5. Of the wrath of God
The Bible speaks of the day of God’s wrath (Zephaniah 1: 14-18; Isaiah 22: 5). On that day God will judge our sin, disobedience, and all rebellion against Him. However, He himself provided the solution for us to free ourselves from his anger. Jesus! Through him we will receive the forgiveness of our sins and the favor of God.
... for God did not assign us to suffer punishments, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Thessalonians 5: 9)
That is the destiny that God desires for every human being! Jesus has already suffered our punishment on the cross, and thanks to him we enjoy salvation and forgiveness. When the day of God’s wrath comes, we who have received Christ as our Lord and Savior will not suffer the coming punishment (1 Thessalonians 1:10). Looking at us, God will recognize the work of Christ in us, He will see Jesus and his justice, not our faults and sins. Blessed freedom!
6. To try to earn our salvation
The end or purpose of God’s law is to lead us to Jesus. As much as we try, we will never be able to comply with the entire law. At some point we will fail at something, be it word, intention, or deed. But Jesus’ work on the cross is perfect and when we accept that his sacrifice has the power to cleanse us from all evil, we come out of the oppression of trying to comply with the whole law.
Only through Christ do we receive God’s justice and eternal salvation . All we have to do is believe in Jesus with all our heart and confess with our mouth that he is the Lord. The law fails to justify us, but everyone who believes that Jesus is God is justified and receives his forgiveness (Acts 13: 38-39).
... that, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is the Lord and Saviour, and truly believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. Because with the heart it is believed to be justified, but with the mouth it is confessed to be saved.
(Romans 10: 9-10)
7. To approach the presence of God
During the crucifixion of Jesus the veil that divided the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn. Before that time, the High Priest was the only one who had access (once a year) to the most sacred place in the tabernacle. There he made atonement for his sins and also for those of the people.
The death of Jesus changed that. He shed his own blood in atonement for our sins. He himself bore our guilt and opened the way for us to directly access God the Father. We no longer need to do any more rites and sacrifices. Christ, the Lamb of God, is enough! Thanks to him we can speak in confidence with the Father and receive his forgiveness and his love (Ephesians 3:12).
Let us therefore approach God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith gives us, internally purified of a guilty conscience and externally washed with pure water.
(Hebrews 10:22)
Let us thank God because it is for him that we are really free. No other freedom compares to what he grants us. Let’s live lives that reflect that gratitude! Let your joy and your love flow through our lives so that we can impact those around us and encourage them to seek true freedom in Jesus.
