When people, who are not followers of Jesus Christ, look at devout Christians, they see something different. But their flesh and their sin cause them to think that we have no freedom. That we are bound by rules that God gives us and that we have no fun.
I have a very sweet sister in Christ whose husband was not a believer and she prayed for him for quite a while. But while she waited for the Lord to reach him, he led a sinful life and he verbally abused her terribly And mocked, both she, and her faith. He would come home from a night of drinking and, whatever else he did while out with his friends and, he would find her on her knees in prayer for him. It infuriated him and he would lash out at her saying awful things. She would try to reach him quoting verses like Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” and say “I don’t want to be apart from you for eternity, I love you”. But that would only convict him and make him even more enraged.
That is what most people, who do not know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, believe and it is also how they behave when convicted by the gospel.
God gave us free will to choose Him or to choose being lord of our own lives living a life of sin, but that isn’t the freedom that God offers us.
The freedom that is offered to us, is the freedom from sin, not the freedom to sin. We have been given free will, by God and are certainly capable of sin, but there is no freedom in committing sin, like a person with an addiction we keep sinning and then when that sin becomes mundane we become a little more debauched and sin in a more disgusting way and on and on. And the guilt, shame, conviction, hurt, that we then have to live with are the chains that bind us.
Not to mention, that apart from Christ, we are responsible for paying the penalty for the sins that we committed against God, and it is not humanly possible, so hell looms in the background of our lives.
And the enemy deceives us into thinking that is freedom?
The Scripture is clear, to be in sin is to be enslaved, not free (Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin John 8:34) . That’s what the enemy desires for us, that he could enslave us to sin and keep us from being free to accept, serve and honor Jesus.
The apostle Paul recognized freedom and chose it “Everything is permissible for me” – but not everything is beneficial. “You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything” (NIV). Paul also said “Now the Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” 2 Corinthians 3:17.
God desires that we would use our free will to choose Him. That we would repent and accept Jesus offer to pay the penalty of those sins for us. And then, He calls us to a full and victorious life (Full – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” – John 10:10. Victorious – “for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:4-5)
I pray that we would start our morning the spirit of repentance and gratitude for all that the Lord has done for us. I pray that we would be reminded of the bondage that lies in wait for us, in sin. I pray that when confronted by the temptation to sin we would remember (Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7) and flee. I pray that we would begin today, to live out that victorious and full life that God planned for us, in Jesus Christ. Thank you Father!
If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and have been suffering with the byproducts of sin (guilt, shame, hurt) I pray that you would go to our Life Preserver page (https://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/) and pray the prayer that is outlined there. Jesus is not offering you forgiveness, a personal relationship with Him and eternal life…He is offering you a freedom you have never known (So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36). Please pray this prayer and once you do, reach out to me, I’d love to be in prayer for you.
Luv Ya!
