Freedom: The Truth

I will say to the prisoners, “Come out in freedom,” and to those in darkness, “Come into the light.”
They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures and on hills that were previously bare.

Isaiah 49:9

WHAT EXACTLY IS FREEDOM IN CHRIST? We hear about it, read about it, and sing about it, but what does it really mean? Freedom is “the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action.” In other words, we’re not confined to only one option. Too often we interpret “freedom in Christ” as being a release from the penalty our sins deserve. It includes that, for sure. But it’s just as much the option to choose what we do next. We have been given the ability to say no to ungodliness and yes to Christ. That’s true freedom.

When we read today’s key verse and the context around it, we see three beautiful aspects of freedom in Christ:

1. We have a choice. We don’t have to keep doing things that separate us from God. This includes any sinful habits as well as our ambitions and goals that are contrary to what God wants for us.
2. We have a model. Jesus came to show us what God desires and how to live in the world without conforming to it. He is our light—we don’t have to stay in darkness wondering what His will is.
3. We have God’s provision. If we’re on the road to which He’s called us, we’ll find our sustenance in Him, and we’ll find rest in our spirits. We find an unexplainable peace when we’re doing what we know God wants us to be doing.

BOTTOM LINE

Enjoy your freedom in Christ! You have everything you need.

Moment of Strength: Galatians 5:1