Freedom is awesome. It’s great to live in a free country. It’s even better to be freed from the sins of our past. The Church has misused freedom. It’s important that we properly discern freedom. What does the Bible say about freedom?
Christ redeemed mankind through His sinless life, death, burial, and resurrection. Humans, since the Garden of Eden, have been in bondage to sin. Jesus paid the price for our freedom. We trade our bondage to sin for His Lordship. Total surrender is the price of admission.
We are all free to reject Christ’s gift. Freedom is a two-edged sword. We can accept His liberty and Lordship or reject it and remain mired in bondage and sin.
The ball is in your court.
What Does The Bible Say About Liberty
Leviticus 25:10 And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan.
The year of jubilee was a time of celebration. Labor ceased for a year. The release of all debts transpired.
Jesus is our Jubilee.
Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.
Not everyone was happy with Jesus. The crowd wanted to throw Him off a cliff (Luke 4:28). Jesus definitely had style!
The Law of Liberty
How can the words “law” and “liberty” work together?
We are free through the completed work of Christ. It’s a law because it is not arbitrary. It works for me and it works for a person in Uganda, Australia, Romania, or China.
James 1:25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
James 2:12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.
Freedom From Corruption
Romans 8:20-22 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
Creation was perfect. The fall infected everything. Christ provided redemption. Restoration is the next segment.
Weeds grow easily and flowers require constant attention. Rust and corrosion destroy valuables. Humans die for many reasons.
Restoration will happen soon. We’re groaning until it does.
The Spirit of the Lord
II Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
I love the Trinitarian subtext of this verse.
The Spirit opens the eyes of our hearts and mind. Invite the Holy Spirit into your Bible reading. He knows the mind of God. We only think that we do.
Ask the Holy Spirit to remove the veil.
Use Freedom Wisely
Jude wrote about turning the grace of God into lawlessness. Unfortunately, that idea has only gained momentum. Misguided pastors and believers promote the concept of antinomianism.
Antinomianism basically means “against the law”. The idea is that we as Christians do not earn salvation from following the Mosaic Law. That sounds reasonable. It didn’t end there, though.
Some believe that the price for salvation has been paid we can live however we want. Jesus defeated sin and nothing we do can change that. If we commit adultery or murder it’s of no consequence.
Peter and Paul both were aware of this insidious false gospel.
I Peter 2:16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
2 Peter 2:19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that, he is enslaved.
Paul was crystal clear that the sexually immoral, greedy, and drunkards would not inherit the Kingdom. When we are born of the Spirit those sins begin to lose their hold on us.
We aren’t earning favor points each time we resist them. Positive behavior is an outworking of our love of God.
Freedom In Christ
Galatians 2:4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery.
We are not required to follow the Law of Moses. Actually, we are unable to follow it perfectly. Jesus clarified the stringent requirements of the Law during the Sermon on the Mount.
Anger with a brother is equivalent to murder.
Lustful looks are the same as adultery.
Our freedom is not a license to sin.
Paul was referencing the ritualist nature in the above text. Temple sacrifices were required to atone for sin. In Christ, those sins are remitted not just covered.
Christ died a brutal death in my place. How am I honoring that sacrifice?
Stand Firm in Freedom
Galatians 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Are you submitting to the Lordship of Christ? Or are you submitting to the yoke of slavery?
Will you embrace His grace or attempt to earn salvation through works? Do you resist sin with the power of His grace? Or have you fallen in love with cheap grace?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer on Grace
“Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession…Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”
He Set Me Free
As a kid in church, we sang hymns. Some of the lyrics remain with me.
He set me free, He set me free
And He broke the bonds of prison for me
I’m glory bound my Jesus to see
For glory to God, He set me free
Enjoy Your Freedom In Christ
Jesus provided freedom. How will you use it?