“But why the message of freedom? Slavery is no longer legal. Segregation is of the past. Immigration is on the rise. Prisoners are given fair trials. So what exactly am I needing freedom from? Sin? Been there, done that, received Christ already and got the t-shirt to prove it.” (By the way…this conversation is occurring in my mind, hints the quotation marks…)
The freedom of Christ is not merely the work of pardoning sin. The freedom of Christ is simple and complete, yet complex and evolving. It is challenging and liberating. It is active and life giving.
Jesus said that if He sets us free, then we are free indeed. From the moment that we accept Him as Lord, He sets us free…and then fights everyday for us to understand just how free we are.
First comes our freedom from sin and death. Poof, pow, gone. No matter what we’ve done or how many times we’ve done it, He says “I don’t care, ain’t nobody got time to remember all that…you are forgiven, we are friends, and there is nothing that can take that away…ever.” Then all the angels in heaven throw a crazy party because what God has wanted for so long has finally come true…our freedom and new life with Him. A clean slate. A fresh start. Every single day for the rest of our lives.
Then, as we walk with Him and talk with Him and get to know Him, He starts to show us all the other ways in which his freedom is so powerful and good.
“Hey Chanell, why do you get shy when it’s time to voice your opinion? How come you won’t follow through with that really great idea? How come you care SOOOOOOOOO much what others think of you? How come you don’t say no, even when you really want to? How come you keep thinking about that time you messed up and relive the same humiliating feelings over and over again in your mind?” (That was the Holy Spirit talking that time)
And after a conversation like that, freedom in Christ takes on a whole new meaning…freedom from:
Freedom from the Fear of rejection, failure, or not being good enough.
Freedom from worthlessness, not being heard, or not being protected.
Freedom from the Fear of Man.
Free from the opinions of man. Free from the worry of what man thinks about us. Free from how man will respond to us if we take a stand. Free from the judgments of other.
The freedom of Christ has lifted me out of a pit. It has given me a voice. It has made me courageous. It has made me new. It has given me a pair……….of guts. It is solace. It is peace. It is love.
And above all things, I desire for everyone to be free in Christ. And if I could use my life to spread this Word…then I would.
