What is Freedom?

One cannot and will never understand the true meaning of being free, if Jesus Christ is not in their lives. Then again, even those who are saved from the eternal sentence of Hell itself don't fully understand what Christ did for them. You can accept the work on the cross and the fact that we have died with Christ and are raised with Him and still not understand the full measure of His work. No one here will ever be able to fully explain Christ's person and all that He is, but we can still strive to understand the written Word of life God has given us to guide us for our walk down here in this dark, directionless work. Within God's Word is the key to living a life full of freedom from the world and ourselves.

I have read many verses on freedom and Christ's death on the cross, but still managed to come away confused. I bit ago, I read the Message Bible transliteration which puts verses in the most simple form you can think of. In the case of reading Romans 6-8, it made reading a breeze. I had a hard time making sense of in the King James before. I'm not bashing the King James version at all, I believe it is one of the closest translations to the original text of the Bible. Sometimes though you may need some modern language to make sense of passages you really want to understand.

As a younger man I have had my share of the world's influence and have paid the price for the choices. I will be the first in line to say that the so called freedom of making your own choices is the very definition of slavery. God's grace is great and abundant, but don't think of his forgiveness as a way to throw all your sins and selfish acts in a trash can when you finish and then continue what you were doing. I once thought this way.

Freedom is not doing whatever you want. When Jesus Christ came down to save us, He came down to save us from ourselves. We, on our own, serve the world and our works are dry and worthless. At the end of our lives we will stand in front of God and have nothing to give Him. If we continue to live a life for ourselves we gain nothing, but if we live a life for Christ we gain freedom. Freedom from sin and our choices. Have you ever thought of listening and obeying God as freedom? I never did. I always thought it to be work. I have taken my own path and what I thought was best for me. I never thought it would bring about the near destruction of my heart. The choice that you make to be free and make your own decisions will be your last free choice.

I once thought that I had a disease and that something was wrong with me. I would sin and fall back into the world's ways, then I would confess my sins to the Lord and the next day fall right back into my old ways. The world and those around me told me that I had to CHANGE. The changes that were suggested to me altered my outlook on freedom. Let me tell you how:  Part of the reason I was kept in bondage was the simple lie that I needed more than God to cure myself. In accepting anything else beyond Christ, I am saying God isn't good enough. According to the following God is enough.

2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for thee....."

You may say that yeah it's true the Bible does say that...but you have a problem and you need some other help to to get yourself "right". You are human as well and God is so far away. You need Christ yes...but. But Nothing! This is the lie of the world; that God isn't good enough. The minute you even slightly believe that God isn't enough you can't and will never appreciate the Gospel of Christ. We all have times where believing this verse is difficult and we may need help from others to remind us of this truth. But don't for a second believe that your anything other than a child of God.

My problem was that I thought too much. I was constantly trying to change and be someone new. When in reality, I was already new: Because of Christ's work. I was trying to make Christ's work better. We all know that His work was a perfect work. We try to enhance His already finished work. When someone told me there was nothing wrong with me and that I didn't need to change I was dumb-founded.  Not even just that, but that I was already free from the world and my sin. I'm free and forgiven? So what am I doing focusing on fixing myself when I'm already fixed? That's the point. I had a big "duh" moment. All this time, my eyes could have been focused on Christ and what He has done for me.

So if you're like me and have a past of things you wish you could have done over again, listen to this truth that helped me move on. You are not defined by your past, addictions, down falls and mistakes. YOU are defined by His life.

"For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."

- Collisions 3:3

Keep yourself looking to God only. The more you believe the lies of the world, the more the flesh has it's day. Remember that freedom and deliverance from sin comes from not doing something, but rather resting in the finished work of the cross. Some people, like myself have pasts, that God has delivered us from. This is where transparency comes into view. Some of us have to be brought to the lowest point to break down our pride and self. Then God brings us to a place of humility and gives us the great and wonderful opportunity to serve Him in ways we could not have done before. The grace of God flows through our hearts.

Jesus said, "It is finished," for a reason. Your choice is to either accept the FINISHED work of Christ, or continue on believing that there is something wrong with you and you still have to change and be a better person. It put my heart, mind and soul to rest to be leaning on God and His promises. I continue to read His Word and give my time and heart to the one who set me free. I was crucified with Christ, but yet I live!! Take hold of these truths in God's Word, these words are more than guidelines. They are the written words of God. He gives us hope when the world offered none. He gives us life and freedom. Reach out and take it. No one else can give you peace and joy but Christ. It is a beautiful thing. A beautiful thing indeed....to be free.

- Jesse