Freedom...Are We Really Free?
As a country, we in America just celebrated our freedom. The Declaration of Independence signed on July 4th 1776, declared our total independence from Great Britain. Freedom is an amazing thing; to not be bound or controlled by another’s choices or decisions.
As believers we were given that same amazing gift in Christ, freedom. Galatians 5:1a states “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free…We had become bound to the sin nature by the fall of man. Gods amazing plan to free us culminated when Christ gave his life for us on that old rugged Cross.
But are we free…I mean really free? Webster defines freedom as “release from captivity or the power of another, not under the control or power of another.” So, if we are free from sin, why do we still have anger issues? Why are we overweight? Why do we gossip…I could go on but you get the point. So, are we not really free?
Freedom is a gift. Like any gift we must receive that gift. In Christ freedom is given to us, so positionally in Christ we are free, but experientially in our lives we may still be bound to something. As any enemy, our enemy does not want us free. He will try to get us to give in to whatever temptation he presents us to cause us to forfeit our freedom.
While Christ died to set us free from, let’s say overeating, daily we must choose to participate in that freedom. We must choose to say no to more food or a second dessert. Our choices are an important component to walking in freedom. When we are bound to sin or bad habits, we are under the power of another and their captive and not truly free.
By “choosing” we are enforcing that freedom in our lives. We are saying no to the temptation of the enemy to compromise what Christ died to give us by exercising our will. Our will is our chooser. Our bodies cannot act out something that our will does not choose. Like a muscle, we strengthen our will every time we choose to say no.
Galatians 5:1 ”It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” We are free, but we must stand for that freedom. It’s telling us to not let ourselves be bound AGAIN. Just like in a war, troops will gain ground from the enemy in a battle, but they must stand against the same enemy to keep the ground taken. They will try to take it again and must be defeated each time they attempt to take it back. Jesus took the ground on the Cross, we must maintain what he gained by choosing to stand.
Because so many believers do not understand this principle, explains why so many are not living free from the “sins that so easily entrap us”…Hebrews 12:1. John 8:32 says, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free”. To know is to “grasp in the mind with clarity.” To have intimate knowledge of something is to know it; it’s not just a casual reading of a scripture. We must gain revelation knowledge of a truth and then apply it to our individual situations.
Christianity is enlisting in an army and becoming a soldier. It’s far more than Sunday morning church or daily devotionals. We are to fight against every evil force that is set against the plans and purposes of God in the earth. It is infiltrating every mountain of society with the power and truth of the Gospel and making disciples. If we personally are bound with chains of sin instead of walking free how are we going to be effective soldiers for the Kingdom of God?
Its time. It’s time to stand for our freedom, lay aside every weight that entangles us and become an emerging force that conquerors darkness, sets captives free and brings the Kingdom of heaven to the earth. We have no time for petty arguments on social media, being bound by food or holding onto an offense.
We have too much work to do for the Kingdom and no time to play church. God needs our cooperation with his plans. If you haven’t noticed, we have arrived smack in the middle of the end of all time as we know it. We are living in the book of Revelation and the time clock is running out.