FREEDOM

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. —II Corinthians 3:17

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. —II Corinthians 5:21

Prisons are terrible places. If you have not been in one, whether visiting or doing time, then you do not understand what it means to be behind concrete, bars and wire or confined to small spaces. Movement is limited and then you can only move when you are allowed to. Even visitors undergo these constraints. You cannot move through locked doors, but wait until you hear the “click” and then push through to the next locked do and repeat the procedure. When I visit the prison there are 6 locked doors I pass through before I get to the chapel. It is a stark reminder of where one is.

But, there are worse prisons that those of brick and bars, wire and wardens! There are the prisons of addiction, power, greed and the list goes on. As mentioned in II Timothy 2:26, Satan holds captive every single person who has not trusted the Lord Jesus Christ’s finished work at the cross. Satan is their warden whether they know it or not. Not only is Satan holding them captive, but he is holding them captive to do his will! Satan’s will is to manipulate, deceive and destroy people (Genesis 2:15-17; Genesis 3:1-19; John 8:44; 10:10). Do you know Jesus? If not, then you are held captive by Satan to do his will! You are doing His will and one of the things Satan desires is you not trusting the Lord Jesus!

But, if you know Jesus you are free indeed. Freed from the power of Satan and sin and death (John 8:31-36; II Timothy 1:10; Hebrews 2:14). This is possible because, according to the verse above, Jesus was our sin offering, taking our punishment for our sin in our place so that by trusting in His finished work at the cross we can have God’s righteousness. Wow, Jesus takes our sin and God gives us His righteousness. That is the only way a person can come into relationship with God and one day be with Him in heaven— only through the shed blood of Jesus. He proved Himself to be the Son of God through the resurrection of the dead (Romans 1:4). Have you trusted Him?

Now, fellow follower of Jesus, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). Also, “do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Let us be faithful in living the life of freedom in Jesus by living a life service to others by being a servant of Jesus. May it be so.

Dear Father, thank You for the freedom You have given me. I am grateful that I am not in the prisons that Satan used to hold me captive to do his will. Now, with the freedom You have given me in Your Son, may I be faithful to live out Your will for the life You have given me!

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