Freedom
Today is Veterans Day. Thank you to all of those who have served and fought for freedom. Thank you to all of those that at this very moment in are in parts of our world working for freedom. Thank you for all that you do. May God bless you all.
I woke up this morning thanking about freedom. I think that it is a common thought on veterans day as we remember and give thanks for the men and women who have made sacrifices for the many freedoms that we now have today. As I thought about freedom I thought about the passage in the scriptures that says "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36)
What does it mean for us to be set free by the Jesus? What are the freedoms that we receive in Christ? What are we freed from?
This passage, as I reflect on it this morning, seems to say that true freedom-- to be free indeed, happens when it is Christ that sets us free. So, what is this freedom and what does it mean for our lives today. The scriptures tell us that this freedom is not is not freedom to just do whatever but it is truly freedom. Galatians 5 says that we shouldn't use our freedom to indulge. 1 Peter says that our freedom should not be used as a cover-up. So what does it mean to be set free by the Son? What does it mean to be free indeed?
A few words come to my mind as I think about what we are freed from in Christ. In Christ we are no longer a captive of imprisoned by:
Sin. That is the promise! We are freed from sin. In Christ we can overcome sin. We do not have to sin. We do, but in Christ we are set free to sin no more. We can't just say, "well, we are human so we will always sin." I am not trying to say this is easy, or that I am sinless, but the promise of freedom in Christ is that we are free from sin. We need to proclaim this promise, over the power of sin. This is what it means to be free indeed.
Here are some more words that come to mind as I think about what Christ frees me from in my live that makes for true freedom. Not that I don't sometimes allow these things to weigh me down and imprison me. The promise is that I am free if I will just lean into, and on, Jesus.
Free from past mistakes.
Free from guilt.
Free from shame.
Free from worry.
Free from stress.
Free from fear.
Free from resentment.
Free from hate.
Free from loneliness.
Free from pettiness.
Free from self-centerdness.
Free to love!
When the Son sets us free we are free indeed! What are the freedoms that you have in Christ that mean true freedom to you? What has christ freed you from? What has he freed you to do? Live today as one who has been set free indeed. Thank God for the many freedoms that we have in our world and for those that have sacrificed to give us those freedoms. Thank God for the sacrifice that made so that you and I, so that the whole world, could live free indeed.
In Christ's love and mine,
Doug
I woke up this morning thanking about freedom. I think that it is a common thought on veterans day as we remember and give thanks for the men and women who have made sacrifices for the many freedoms that we now have today. As I thought about freedom I thought about the passage in the scriptures that says "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36)
What does it mean for us to be set free by the Jesus? What are the freedoms that we receive in Christ? What are we freed from?
This passage, as I reflect on it this morning, seems to say that true freedom-- to be free indeed, happens when it is Christ that sets us free. So, what is this freedom and what does it mean for our lives today. The scriptures tell us that this freedom is not is not freedom to just do whatever but it is truly freedom. Galatians 5 says that we shouldn't use our freedom to indulge. 1 Peter says that our freedom should not be used as a cover-up. So what does it mean to be set free by the Son? What does it mean to be free indeed?
A few words come to my mind as I think about what we are freed from in Christ. In Christ we are no longer a captive of imprisoned by:
Sin. That is the promise! We are freed from sin. In Christ we can overcome sin. We do not have to sin. We do, but in Christ we are set free to sin no more. We can't just say, "well, we are human so we will always sin." I am not trying to say this is easy, or that I am sinless, but the promise of freedom in Christ is that we are free from sin. We need to proclaim this promise, over the power of sin. This is what it means to be free indeed.
Here are some more words that come to mind as I think about what Christ frees me from in my live that makes for true freedom. Not that I don't sometimes allow these things to weigh me down and imprison me. The promise is that I am free if I will just lean into, and on, Jesus.
Free from past mistakes.
Free from guilt.
Free from shame.
Free from worry.
Free from stress.
Free from fear.
Free from resentment.
Free from hate.
Free from loneliness.
Free from pettiness.
Free from self-centerdness.
Free to love!
When the Son sets us free we are free indeed! What are the freedoms that you have in Christ that mean true freedom to you? What has christ freed you from? What has he freed you to do? Live today as one who has been set free indeed. Thank God for the many freedoms that we have in our world and for those that have sacrificed to give us those freedoms. Thank God for the sacrifice that made so that you and I, so that the whole world, could live free indeed.
In Christ's love and mine,
Doug
Comments
And THANK YOU God for the freedom you have given me, for giving so freely of your son so that I might be saved.
Now the hard part - the leaning on God so that you can be free and feel the freedom. WORRY is my big bad monster. I am a worrier. I think that I am progressing with overcoming the worry that used to nearly consume me, but some days it is still a real struggle. RESENTMENT is the second on my list. I struggle daily with past resentment that I think I have put away and cast off but then it's ugly head shows up again. I know that if I let him, God will truly set me free from these two monsters - it's up to me.
What monsters do you struggle with? Have you given them to God? Why do they keep coming back?
When I think of freedom, I think of how God has set me free from so much through his Son. I think of a time when my life was a wreck and there was no place, person, or thing I could turn to except Him. When we truly turn it all over to Him, then we can know what real freedom is. Through pain, loneliness, fear, you name it, Jesus can set us free.
Thanks be to God for all the blessings we have received and I long for the day when we shall be with Him for eternity.