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 –
We are free in Christ… saved by God’s grace alone through faith in our Savior. We have been set free. All who place their faith in Jesus live in true and complete freedom through Him.
What is this freedom that Christ won for us?
♦ 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 under His grace.
“In Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death.” – Romans 8:2
♦ Freedom from bondage to sin – Before Christ, we were held captive 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 give in to sin. His Spirit within gives us power to resist sin and live for Him.
♦ Freedom from sin’s penalty – All mankind is deserving of death for we all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Only 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 for us is now just a doorway into life eternal with our Savior.
“True and absolute freedom is only found in the presence of God.” – A.W. Tozer
♦ 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 have no need to fear God’s judgment. For God sees us as He sees His Son… pure and righteous and holy.
♦ 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 want… for that would lead us back into bondage to our selfish desires. Jesus gave us freedom so that by His power we can do what was impossible before… to live rightly and unselfishly. To live as Jesus lived… a life of grace and compassion.
♦ 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.
“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
Jesus has set us free. In faith, we now choose to walk in this newfound freedom. We tap into His love, His grace and His power to live according to His will for us. We stand strong against the lure of the world and its yoke of bondage. For God’s gracious gift to us, salvation and freedom through His Son, is complete and eternal. And if the Son has set us free, we are free indeed (John 8:36).
