EMBRACE THE FREEDOM THAT CHRIST WON FOR YOU
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Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. – 2 Corinthians 3:17 –
Freedom in Christ is the joy of all believers… all who are saved by grace alone through faith in Jesus. We have been delivered from the chains of sin and the fear of evil. We are free to become who we were created to be.
⇒ What is this freedom that Christ won for us?
Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. – Romans 8:2
♦ Freedom from the law – The law was given to Moses to serve as a guide for how God’s people were to live. Yet no one could uphold the law completely. A Savior was desperately needed. The Messiah came as prophesied, completely fulfilling the law. Christ’s perfect sacrifice atoned for the sins of all mankind forever. We now no longer live under the law… we live in His grace.
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. – Romans 6:18
♦ Freedom from bondage to sin – Before Christ, we were captives to sin. Now sin no longer wields control over us for we have been set free. Our almighty Lord has broken our chains of bondage. We no longer need to yield to sin. The Holy Spirit gives us power to resist sin and live for Jesus.
If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. – John 8:36
♦ Freedom from sin’s penalty – All mankind is deserving of death… for we all fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). Only the One without sin could pay the ransom price to save us. The Lamb of God gave His perfect life in exchange for our lives. He took upon Himself our sins and gave us His righteousness. Death is now a doorway into life eternal with our Savior.
Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. – Romans 6:22
♦ Freedom from God’s judgment – Since our heavenly Father reigns in absolute holiness, He cannot live in the presence of sin. Through Christ, we have been made holy. We no longer live under condemnation for our sins. We no longer fear God’s judgment. For God sees us as He sees His Son… pure, righteous, blameless.
True and absolute freedom is only found in the presence of God. – A.W. Tozer
♦ Freedom from evil – Jesus has rescued us from the power of this present evil age. The Victorious One has already won the war. We are saved from a world ruled by Satan… a world with temptation, deception and evil. We rise above all evil by the power of Christ that dwells in us. As children of God, we shine as lights in a corrupt world (Philippians 2:15).
Christian liberty is freedom from sin, not freedom to sin. – A.W. Tozer
♦ Freedom to live for God – Christ came to set us free. Not as a license to go our own way… to do whatever we please, believing our Lord will forgive us. For that would impose upon His mercy and lead us back into bondage to our selfish desires. Jesus gave us freedom so that by His power we can do what was once impossible… to live rightly, unselfishly, justly. To live as He lived.
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. – 1 Peter 2:16
♦ Freedom to serve our living Lord – Freedom is a privilege. In thankfulness to the One who gave us new life, we use our freedom to serve Him. To reach out with His love to a lost and needy world. To glorify Him. For our Lord came not to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28). We are to do the same.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. – Galatians 5:1
Jesus has set us free. In faith, we now choose to walk in newfound freedom. We tap into His love, His grace and His power to live according to His will for us, standing strong against the lures, deceits and temptations of the world. For God’s gracious gift to us, salvation and freedom through His Son, is complete and eternal.
† Eternal Takeaway – Only in Christ can true freedom be found †
