Freedom in Christ

In Galatians 5:1 Paul writes, 'For freedom Christ has set us free.'

Now, that’s a concept that we as Americans are familiar with right. Freedom is this powerful idea that has come to define American culture and values. We sing about freedom. We talk about freedom. We fight for freedom. America has been billed as ‘the land of the free and home of the brave.’ And might I just say at this point that I thank God for the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans. I think we take some of our freedoms for granted. We are free to worship God. That’s not the case in many parts of the world. So I’m especially grateful to the men and women who serve our country and risk their lives to protect the many freedoms that we enjoy.

So in one sense we’re a free people, but there is another sense in which a person is never truly free until they surrender their life to Jesus Christ. I mean, we believe that we are a free people, born into a free society and that we can do whatever we want. But the Bible paints a different picture. It says that we’re not free, but that we are all born into slavery. It says that we’re enslaved to sin and death. Jesus said, ‘Whoever commits sin is the slave of sin.’ Anyone who’s ever tried to stop sinning understands this. We can’t. We’re all born with a sinful nature and we’re slaves to that sinful nature until Christ sets us free. It’s like our whole social structure has been built to help us deal with sin. That’s why we have counselors and attorneys and cops… But no matter how many systems we develop and programs we create and social structures we put in place, none of it works. We are slaves to sin.

Likewise, the bible says that we are all slaves to death. As one person said it, ‘The statistics on death are rather impressive. One out of ever one persons who are born die.’ I don’t care how much you go to the gym or if you eat your vitamins and veggies and make sure to wear sun-block and avoid everything that’s bad. One day, you will die. That’s why Jesus came. He came in the likeness of sinful flesh and redeemed us so that now we don’t have to die, we can live forever with God. And we don’t have to be enslaved to sin, we can walk in freedom and newness of life. Jesus said, ‘If the Son sets you free, then you are free indeed.’

I know a lot of people who think of Christianity as this thing that strips you of your freedoms. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have been set free from the bondage of earthly passions and pursuits. We are free to love God, and serve Him and worship Him and walk with Him. This is true freedom. Walk in it. Fight for it. Stand in it.

God bless,

Daniel Bentley