Being free in Christ means that Jesus is the Lord of my life and that, thanks to his work in me, sin does not control my actions. That is the reality of those of us who are children of God!
From the moment we allow Jesus to reign in our lives, to fill us with his presence and transform us, he gives us the necessary strength to obey him. With the help of him we say No to sin and Yes to the will of God. We stop being slaves of sin and live the full life that God longs for us. That is the wonderful freedom we have in him!
Free in Christ!
1. The truth sets us free
Jesus then addressed the Jews who had believed in him, and said to them: If you remain faithful to my teachings, you will truly be my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
(John 8:31-32)
When we have a genuine experience with Jesus, a great desire arises in us to obey him and to be faithful to him. The saving touch of Jesus does not leave us the same! The desire is born in us to immerse ourselves in his Word and to seek his presence in prayer. We allow him to speak about his will for our lives and to show us what he wants to do in us.
It is in the midst of that search that he reveals more of his truth to our hearts. He shows us who we are in him: his children, loved by him, redeemed for his glory. God reveals to us his power over sin. He gives us clarity as to the salvation he has already accomplished for us through his death on the cross and his resurrection, and he shows us how we should live now that we are his children.
2. Slave or free?
I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin,” Jesus replied. Now, the slave does not stay forever in the family; but the son does stay in it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be truly free.
(John 8:34-36)
Jesus gives us complete freedom! By receiving him as savior we cease to be slaves of sin. We become free to overcome temptation and to live life within God’s purpose.
In Christ we have freedom, but we must to decide if we will live as free children who reflect his image or if we will live as slaves. God gives us the strength not to give in to temptation and reminds us that with him we are more than conquerors. Focusing on God and living within His will decreases our desire to do what pleases us and increases our desire to please Him.
3. Life with Jesus
Therefore, there is no longer any condemnation for those who are united to Christ Jesus, because through him the law of the Spirit of life has freed me from the law of sin and death.
(Romans 8:1-2)
The law brings severe punishment, but life with Jesus frees us from condemnation. No matter how great the mistakes made in the past, when God with his divine grace decides to forgive, he grants complete forgiveness.
God offers us a new beginning filled with abundant life. He gives us hope for eternity with him and also our life here acquires a new meaning thanks to the presence of the Holy Spirit. Our goal is to live to the glory of God and bring his presence and love wherever we go.
4. Attention to the fruit!
When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the dominion of justice. What fruit did they harvest then? Things that now embarrass them and lead to death! But now that they have been freed from sin and placed in the service of God, they reap the holiness that leads to eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, while the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:20-23)
Here we see the difference between a life enslaved by sin and one dedicated to the service of God dominated by him and his justice. It is easy to know who or what rules our lives: we only have to look at the fruit. Sin bears fruit that shames and leads to spiritual death. However, the fruit of justice or of a life placed at the service of God is a fruit full of holiness and leads to eternal life.
A holy life is one set apart for God who seeks to please him at all times. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit! This is how we manage to recognize the great gift of eternal life that God has given us. Living filled with the Spirit we persevere in obedience to the Word of God. It is by his grace that we have passed from death to life in Christ Jesus and our lives cannot remain the same in the face of this reality.
5. Firm in our freedom
Christ set us free so that we can live in freedom. Therefore, stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of bondage.
(Galatians 5:1)
In Jesus we have freedom both from the yoke of sin and from having to fulfill the entire Old Testament law. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s forgiveness no matter how good we appear to be in the eyes of others. We are saved by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9) and only the sacrifice of Christ brings us true freedom.
Read more about the power of God’s grace
Once we are transformed by God’s love and redeeming power, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us. He gives us the necessary help to live in obedience to God and to stand firm. We do not obey him out of fear or legalism but out of love, because our heart’s desire is to live according to his will.
6. The Spirit-filled life
Instead, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. There is no law that condemns these things. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature, with its passions and desires. If the Spirit gives us life, let us walk guided by the Spirit.
(Galatians 5:22-25)
We have been called to be free, but that does not give us permission to live as we want giving free rein to our passions and desires (Galatians 5:13-26). There is a great contrast between the works of the flesh and the Spirit-filled life: our choice must always be to act according to the Spirit-filled life. God must be the one who directs all our actions, feelings and words. With him we have the strength we need at all times not to give in to sin.
The freedom we have in Christ is one that brings us spiritual well-being and helps us in our relationships with others. Let the Spirit do his transforming work in us and live free from the power of sin to the glory and honor of our Savior.
7 freedoms we have in Christ.