Are you free?

I don't know about you, but I have been struggling with my freedom. Now different things may enter your mind when you hear the word free. It all depends on your situation or circumstances. If you are shopping- you would love to see a free sign, or if you live in America we talk about our freedoms all the time that have been given to us. Even people in prison long to be free.

But the freedom I am talking about is different. I am talking about being Truly Free! A freedom that makes you want to stand with your arms outstretched and bask in the beauty of what you have.  The kind of freedom that makes you want to scream "I'm Free", or laugh, or cry, or just about any other emotion you have. 

The freedom I am referring to is the only True freedom, the one that comes from Christ.

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36)

What is this freedom referring to? Being free from your sins. Free to live without the burden of sin. Free to live a new life, one that is pleasing to God, because you are no longer bound to sin, but are set free. (This freedom only comes if we believe that Christ died and was raised again to take away our sins so that we would have this freedom.) Now this freedom does not mean that we will not sin, because we still do- but that we are not under the bondage of sin- we are not slaves to it. It does not control us or motivate us because the Spirit of God has made us new creations that are free. Here is what The Word tells us us:

"To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood" (Revelation 1:5)

" Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man [Christ] forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. " (Acts 13:38-39) 

" For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:5-11)

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17)

So what is the struggle? The struggle comes with trying to still carry the burden of my guilt and shame. I cannot experience true freedom when I carry guilt around, beating myself up over my sin. I am set free from sin, not a slave of any kind. Christ has set me free. I need to understand the Truth and apply it to my life. God's Word says:

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh," (Romans 8:1-3)

 "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”” (John 8:31-32)

I know the truth and the truth will set me free. I pray that I lock this truth on my mind when I start to feel bound again. What Christ did for me was sufficient to take away all my sin, all my guilt, and all my shame. Satan (1 Peter 5:8)tries to make me believe the lies that I need to feel guilty, but Christ has washed me clean and I am FREE.  I am to-"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) May we all begin to grasp what our freedom is and enjoy what Christ has made possible- for those who are found in Him.