What Does The Bible Say About Freedom?
Every single one of us longs for freedom. Freedom is a basic human desire that we always want to pursue. The Bible tells us of a kind of freedom that lasts forever. Freedom that is according to the Bible means being freed from the bondage of sin. Romans 6:20-22 tells us, “When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God” (NLT). Freedom from sin is much more desirable than any freedom that is being offered by this world. This is because freedom from sin means that we are declared as righteous. Such righteousness is from Christ and, because of this, we are able to enjoy eternal life with God.
True and everlasting freedom can be obtained only if we believe in Jesus Christ. This kind of freedom can last beyond this lifetime. Jesus Christ is the only way for us to be set free eternally. John 8:36, tells us, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” Knowing Jesus Christ is knowing the truth, and this truth is potent and effective enough to set us free (John 8:32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”). This might sound ironic, but true freedom in Christ means that we need to be slaves of His. The Apostle Paul addressed himself many times in his letters that he is a “servant of Christ Jesus” (Romans 1:1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.). Freedom in Christ means that we are free to serve Him, and serving Christ does not mean that we are going to be mistreated. The truth is, it is extremely the opposite. Freedom in Christ means that we are going to see Him and enjoy His presence eternally. It means that we are going to experience joy, peace, and love forever.
Freedom in His Kingdom
The freedom that is found in Jesus Christ gives Christians a desire to live for Him as a servant. But Jesus Christ, in His unfathomable grace and wisdom, tells us, “I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends since I have told you everything the Father told me” (NLT). Freedom in Christ also means that we have become not only God’s friends but His children as well. John 1:12 tells us, “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering,” (Romans 8:17). The passage tells us that as children of God we have become heirs, and so we share not only the glory of Christ but also His sufferings. Pain and suffering in this life are normal, but we are not captive to them. The power of Jesus Christ has freed us, and one day “He will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”) NLT.
There is ongoing spiritual warfare that is happening around us. The Apostle Paul has spoken of his ongoing struggle with sin in Romans 7:15-20. However, Paul emphasized in Romans 6:1-2, that sin does not control him anymore. The freedom that we obtain from Christ transforms our lives. We have been renewed, and sins don’t have power over us anymore. We develop habits that are pleasing to the Lord and we follow a new pattern in life that honors God (Ephesians 4:22-32). Our walk in life becomes more meaningful, and we understand the ultimate goal, which is to honor and please God.
Only in Christ
Jesus is the One Who can give us freedom now and forevermore. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come” (Luke 4:17-19). By carefully studying the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will reveal to us that freedom in Christ also brings healing. Freedom in Christ means that we can claim healing anytime. Sickness and diseases have no power over us because of the liberty that Jesus gave to us.
Apart from freeing us from all sickness and diseases, Jesus came to free us from death itself. John 3:16 declares, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This freedom in Christ is the best news ever. His freedom frees us from sin, sickness, evil, and death. This kind of freedom also sets us free from the bondage of vanity, pride, pornography, gluttony, addiction, selfishness, vanity, hatred, and any other sin that we can think of. Because of this, it is right that we give thanks to our Lord. It is also pleasing to Him that we share the freedom of Christ with others, especially those who are still held captive by the sins of the world. Share the Gospel of Christ for those who are slaves to sin. Let them know about the freedom that awaits them. By the power of the Holy Spirit, you will be able to help them escape from the shackles and fetters of sin that prevent them from enjoying a life that is abundant with joy, peace, and love. Preach the love and freedom that is found in Christ. Tell the world how amazing and everlasting this freedom is.
