“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 ESV
Blessed freedom is found in Christ alone. It is because of the Lord Jesus Christ that we are able to truly live and experience freedom. For freedom is more than the demand of one’s own rights. Freedom is more than a country allowing its citizens to freely do and act as they desire.
Freedom is that which sets man free from bondage, captivity, and sin. To be free is to no longer be enslaved to sin, but liberated from sin.
Freedom is that which sets man free from bondage, captivity, and sin. True freedom is what allows us to be who we are and live in the image of Who we were created. To be free is to no longer be enslaved to sin, but liberated from sin.
Scripture says that ““you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free”” (John 8:32 ESV). We know that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).
If we humble ourselves and allow ourselves to take the temporal, painful blow of Truth, then we will enter into the love of Truth.
When we know Him Who is Truth we become set free. For with Truthful conviction comes liberation and freedom. If we humble ourselves and allow ourselves to take the temporal, painful blow of Truth, then we will enter into the love of Truth. For God is calling all to Him. He desires to set us free from that which produces heartache, consequences, and tempts us further into darkness. God desires to shine His Holy Spirit within those who will repent and believe in Christ alone for salvation.
We are not saved by anything we have done but by everything Christ has done.
Many people believe they can earn their salvation. Their selfish pursuits place them in a stratosphere of “If I do this much, I’m a good person”, “If I give this amount of money, I have earned my way into Heaven”, or “If I’m nice and try my best, God will understand.” We are not saved by anything we have done but by everything Christ has done. We can only receive what He has done by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).
True freedom is to be set free from the corrupt, dead, and depraved internal state of mankind.
Many are enslaved to sin and selfish pursuits. Many want instant gratification. They desire fulfillment through the amount of money they have, the amount of likes and views they receive, and the amount of people they know or that know them. They believe that freedom is found in “financial freedom”. They believe that freedom can be found in self-aggrandizement. They believe freedom can be achieved with every external means, while forsaking the way of true freedom. For true freedom is to be set free from the corrupt, dead, and depraved internal state of mankind. Freedom is when we are set free from our sin and constant pursuits of chasing after things in this life.
When Christ sets us free no longer are we slaves to temporal externals, but we now live for spiritually eternal matters.
Both our body and soul can be set free from sin and damnation by Christ’s atoning sacrifice alone. By His Blood we are covered, restored, washed, and made new. By Him, we receive the Holy Spirit Who brings newness of life, light, desires, hope, and fulfillment. No longer are we slaves to temporal externals, but we now live for spiritually eternal matters.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17 ESV). Wherever God’s Holy Spirit is, there is freedom. There is freedom from comparison; freedom from trying to prove ourselves to others; freedom from hopelessness and despair; freedom from suffering without cause; freedom from darkness and deception; freedom from trying to be someone we are not; freedom from sin and Hell; freedom from anxiety and fear; freedom from complacency and not knowing; freedom from self.
By Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, we have a promised ascension. By Him, we are freed from sin.
When God’s Holy Spirit touches us we become renewed and sanctified. We understand the reality that we do not have to fear the wrath of God, but we can live under His love. We no longer fear that our body and soul will be thrown into Hell, but we fear God out of a reverence and awe of Who He is. The God Who transcends all, yet lives immanently within the born again believer. This is the God Whom we serve, and this is the God Who revealed Himself through the Lord Jesus Christ. By Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, we have a promised ascension. By Him, we are freed from sin.
“Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1 ESV). No longer are we slaves to what once used to rule us. No longer are we bound by unnatural ways and darkened paths. No longer do we fall prey to the lies and tricks of the enemy. Instead, we press forward, trusting that God in us will live out His Word through us. Though we shall fall, we shall forever follow the straight and narrow path. Not by our works, our willpower, or our might, but by the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
Those who shall live and reign with Christ in the next life, are those who are not striving for the things of this life.
Let us “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 ESV). In this day and age when false converts seek to use God’s grace as lasciviousness and sin without conviction, we shall live out the true faith as being born again. We shall strive to be servants for God. For in being servants for God we become free. If we desire to be lifted up, we must become humble (Proverbs 29:23). For it is the meek who will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). Those who shall live and reign with Christ in the next life, are those who are not striving for the things of this life. They are humble and meek, trusting that they are only saved by what Christ has done.
We cannot earn God’s Love. We cannot earn salvation. It is a gift freely given to all. Those who truly believe and then strive to walk obediently before God through a repentant faith shall experience more than words can express. For “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 ESV).
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13 ESV). Even though the world does not know us because we are not of the world (John 15:19), may others know us by our fruits (Matthew 7:16). May they see a supernatural love empowered by the Holy Spirit and covered by Grace. May we be led by the joy of the Lord and the blessed freedom that is found in Christ alone.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, God of Infinite Wonder, Him Who is exalted far above the Heavens, blessed be Your Holy Name. Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son to die on the Cross for our sins. We thank You that we have been redeemed. We thank You that You are no respecter of persons and are calling all to You. May we humble ourselves, repent of our sins, and believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. May we find meaning, purpose, joy, and love in You alone. May we be set free from our bondage, captivity, and sin. May we enter into a blessed fellowship with You. Draw us into Your love and may we walk in the freedom of what Christ has done for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Lance VanTine