What Our Freedom In Christ Really Means
What does freedom in Christ mean? How free is our freedom in Christ?
Freedom in Christ can be defined as our having the freedom to live the way we are meant to live. This means we have peace with God, freedom from sin, and the power to live godly lives that make the world a better place. We find this freedom through the gospel. Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the grave is the source and strength of our freedom. He is the foundation of our freedom, that is why it is called freedom in Christ. It can only be found in Him. Through Him, we find freedom from sin, fear, and the burden of having to be “good enough.” The Bible is clear that our freedom in Christ is complete. In other words, our freedom is pure, total, and wholistic. The Bible also provides guidelines on the best way to experience our freedom in Christ.
So, are you ready to reimagine a new level of freedom?
What Is Freedom In Christ
First, what does freedom of Christ really mean? We touched on this earlier and said that our freedom in Christ could be defined as “our having the freedom to live the way we are meant to live.”
Now, that’s great. But I’m sure you have another question. How are we meant to live? We exist to give glory to God. In other words, we exist to celebrate God. We give Him the credit for everything and celebrate His involvement in our lives.
Moreover, He gave us a mission in Genesis chapter one to partner with Him in helping the earth and its people reach their full potential. This is our first call as people. To partner with God in making this world a better place. We do that through living a bible-based lifestyle.
That is what freedom in Christ means. The freedom to make the world a better place by partnering with God and living a bible-based lifestyle. Sounds easy right? But there is a problem, one I’m sure you are familiar with–sin. Just two chapters later, in Genesis three, sin enters the world, and humanity is put under a curse and becomes slaves to sin. We’ve lost our freedom. So, how do we get it back? Can we even get it back?
How To Find Freedom In Christ
We’ve established we have a problem. A sin problem that prevents us from being free. From the moment sin entered the world we have have been enslaved, controlled, and destroyed by sin. In short, our sinfulness prevents our freedom.
So, how do we find our freedom again? God initiated a rescue plan that culminated in Jesus’ death and resurrection. You see, Jesus is our rescuer. When He died on the cross it wasn’t for Himself. It was for us. He allowed our sin to destroy Him. He conquered death at His resurrection.
So, now those who repent of their sins and turn to Jesus as their rescuer find freedom from their sin. Instead of being separated from God, we have peace with God and are able to rejoin His mission to help the world and its people reach their potential. We do this through sharing the gospel so that others can be set free in Christ.
Benefits Of Our Freedom In Christ
Our freedom in Christ changes everything. Our whole outlook on life, our whole way of life, changes.
Before the gospel, we are enslaved and controlled by forces outside of our complete control. Things like sin, death, fear, guilt, shame, being “good enough”, etc. pull at us from every direction, pulling us down and tearing us apart. As a result, our lives are often a chaotic mess.
However, our freedom in Christ has the opposite affect and results in numerous benefits.
Freedom From Sin
First, we are free from the power and control of sin over our lives. When Jesus died, our sinful self died too. How? Because just like Adam and Eve’s sin changed everything for the world, Jesus’ death and resurrection change everything too. When we repent of our sin and turn to Jesus, we believe and confess that the gospel changes everything.
Freedom From Fear
Second, we are free from fear. Fear can have a crippling effect on people’s lives. It can crush dreams, destroy opportunities, and leave you in paralysis.
But the Bible is clear. We are not given a spirit of fear. Our freedom in Christ gives us a confident and loving spirit. 2 Timothy 1:7 reads, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
Freedom From Having To Be Good Enough
Third, we are free from having to be “good enough.” Perfectionism controls people’s lives. It’s true. If you don’t believe me then look on social media. We only put our best out there. Now, that’s not bad in and of itself, but it’s related to the idea of having to be “good enough.” Are we as “good” as those around us?
This is true of Christians as well. Even after being saved, Christians can struggle with the reality of their freedom in Christ. Perhaps you feel like you have to do certain things or say certain things to feel welcomed by God. But guess what? You don’t.
Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Verses About Our Freedom In Christ
The Bible is saturated with verses that discuss our freedom in Christ. After all, that is at the core of the gospel. Check out just some of what the Bible says about our freedom in Christ.Reference
- Galatians 5:1
- “For freedom, Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.”
- 2 Corinthians 3:17
- “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
- John 8:36
- “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
- John 8:32
- “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
- 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.”
- Romans 8:1-2
- “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”
- 1 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.”
- 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.”
- Romans 8:11
- “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.
- 1 Corinthians 8:21
- “‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be enslaved by anything.”
- 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.”
- Romans 6:22
- “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification, and its end, eternal life.”
How Free Is Our Freedom In Christ
How free is our freedom in Christ? That’s a good question and one worth pondering. The answer is more than completely free. I mean we understand the idea of something being completely free. It’s rare and we are often surprised by the fact but “completely free” is a concept we can grasp.
But what about our freedom in Christ? It’s more than completely free. Since our freedom is rooted in Christ, then there is a depth to our freedom that we may not yet be able to fully comprehend. Why? Because our freedom is found through the divine work of the gospel.
So, it’s hard to grasp every implication of our freedom in Christ. We see that to some extent in the way we live as Christians.
Some use rules, traditions, or legalism to mimic our old life where we are bound to something. We are so unfamiliar with the idea of a more than complete freedom that we look for something to cling to other than the cross.
Others, however, advocate for reckless freedom. But that too is incorrect. Our freedom in Christ is not reckless. Rather, it’s secure and rooted in the gospel and the Word of God.
This is the whole point of a Bible-based lifestyle. Every thought, word, or action is rooted in Scripture. Why? Because our freedom is found in Christ and in Him our freedom is complete.
Guidelines For Our Freedom In Christ
Paul does an excellent job of capturing both our complete freedom found in Christ while providing guidelines for that freedom. He does this in 1 Corinthians.
In 1 Corinthians 6 while discussing the issue of sexual immorality within the church at Corinth, Paul writes, “‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say — but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything,’ — but I will not be mastered by anything.”
These are Paul’s guideline questions:
- Is it beneficial?
- Is it something that controls me or do I control it?
Later Paul goes on to how he chooses to use his freedom in Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:19 says,
“Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.”
He repeats his guideline principles in chapter 10 and goes on to say, “No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” And “…whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
So, Paul sums our guiding principles for our freedom in Christ pretty well. In short, we are free to do all for the glory of God and the good of others.
Summary
It is our freedom in Christ that enables us to live a bible-based lifestyle in the 21st century.
The gospel sets us more than completely free from sin, fear, and the desire to be “good enough”. It gives us peace with God and a confident boldness to live for His glory and other people’s good. Our freedom in Christ is so high, so deep, so wide that we are yet unable to fully understand how free we really are.
It is our freedom in Christ that not only allows us to reimagine a better world but to make that world a reality through living a bible-based lifestyle.
Now, if this encouraged you then do me a favor and share it using the buttons below. Chances are it will encourage your friends as well. So, go ahead…give it a share. Why am I asking this? Because it will be for God’s glory other others good.
