Living Free

“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 1 Pe 2:16

No matter what degree of freedom we have, every decade we notice ours and our children’s freedom shrinking; our spaces growing tighter, opportunities eerily being defined by external circumstances beyond our control, structure at every turn, and devices that track our every move. So just how do we live as people who are free?

The type of freedom that can only be found in Jesus transcends our circumstances because it’s specifically freedom from sin that was bought and paid for with His own blood (John 12:24). It’s of a spiritual nature that we carry and guard it within our soul and no matter what happens in life, no one can take it away from us — unless we let them.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:21

Sin enslaves and its stain makes us guilty and when we’re guilty we’re simply weighed down; body, mind, and soul. But when we cast off all that is holding us down, through repentance, then by His mercy we can have extraordinary power to learn and experience what freedom really means, what it truly feels like.

Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. John 12:24

Then and only then are we truly free. Free from ourselves. Free to love God, love others, and love the least of these. Free to be merciful and offer forgiveness. Free to let go of the past, anything we’re holding to tightly, and free to let go our plans if it turns out it’s not the direction God is leading.

Jesus’ followers understand and take to heart that whatever they gain in this world — status, fortune, power — whatever they’re pursuing, if apart from Him, it just simply won’t matter.

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Mattew 11:26

No matter where we live or what our situation is we can live free if we want to.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners.” Isaiah 61:1

And to what greater purpose for being free can there even be?