BORN FREE TO LIVE FREE

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. —Romans 3:21-25

You were born into a family and had a father and mother. That is just the way it works. We are living in strange, sinful and dark times with regards to the make-up of what the world thinks a family is, but it still takes a male and female to bring a child into this world. Just because there are medical procedures that skirt the physical relations that bring about a child does not negate the child being born to parents, claimed or not. The point is though that the child did not plan anything or initiate anything to be born. That was done by the parents.

So it is with those who trust the Lord Jesus Christ and are born into the family of God. It is the Lord God Almighty that causes the spiritual birth. We who were dead in trespasses and sins could not bring about that birth. It was all by grace (Ephesians 2).

According to the verses above “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.” God “declared that we are righteous… through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins… People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.”

Were you right before you were made right? No you were not! Were you righteous before you were declared righteous? No you were not! Were you deserving of his undeserved kindness before he bestowed underserved kindness upon you? No you were not! Were you free from the penalty of your sins before he freed you from the penalty of your sins? No you were not! Were you right with God before believing in the shed blood of Jesus for the sacrifice for you sin? No you were not!

Today, as a believer, is there anything that you can do that will make you right before God? No there is not! Or is there anything that you can do that will declare you righteous before God? No there is not! Or is there anything you can do today to deserve underserved kindness upon you? No there is not! Or is there anything you can do today to free you from the penalty of your sins? No there is not! Or is there anything you can sacrifice today that makes you acceptable to God? No there is not! It has been all accomplished through Jesus at the cross, once for all!

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13). “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves” (I Peter 2:16).

We are free to live and serve. “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires” (Romans 6:12).

Dear Father, my earnest prayer is that You would “Establish my footsteps in Your word, And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me” (Psalm119:133). May it be so in the authority of Jesus and by the Holy Spirit’s power.