FREEDOM IN CHRIST

Consider the following hypothetical situations with me for a moment:

You’ve been kidnapped and are being held in a locked room. You are given the basic essentials – food, water, a toilet. You notice that the key to the room is sitting on the floor next to you. Do you remain in bondage or release yourself?

You’ve been falsely accused of a crime and thrown into jail. After a short time, the district attorney comes by and tells you that you’ve been cleared of all charges. He advises you that you can leave at any time. Do you stay in jail or do you leave?

Obviously, you would release yourself in both of these situations, right? So why do we insist on remaining in spiritual bondage when Jesus has already secured our freedom?

Paul writes to the church of Galatia, “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.*”

It’s like being set free from a kidnapper and then running back to him to be enslaved once more. That would be absurd – just like it’s absurd to stay in spiritual bondage when Christ has made us free.

I am one of the few people who tuned in to the summer miniseries on NBC titled, “Persons Unknown”. The 13-week series told the story of 8 kidnapped people placed into a deserted town surrounded by an electric border. For weeks, they fought to escape to no avail. Finally, during the series finale, they found their way to freedom. For a short while, they enjoyed their freedom – some went back to their normal lives while the others lived under cover of new identities. Unfortunately, by the end of the finale, they were enslaved again. The finale was disappointing to me because I’d invested so much into these characters’ freedom and it felt hopeless to see them back in bondage in the end.

I’m so happy that doesn’t have to be the way our story ends. John 8:32 & 36 tells us, “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free…So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” We don’t need to persevere in sin when we’ve been given the Word of God (the truth).

Enslaved by low self esteem? Read Psalms 139:13-16 and discover that you were wonderfully and fearfully made by God Himself.

Enslaved by anxiety? Read Philippians 4:6 and learn how to address anxiety (by prayer and petition).

Enslaved by loneliness? Read John 14:16 about how Christ sent us the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) who is with us always.

God’s Word addresses all of our needs – He is able to free you from any form of bondage – no matter how great or small. Your freedom is important to Him – you must read His Word to understand just how much.

* Galatians 5:1