DaySpring Daily Word of Inspiration: John 8:36 – So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
As believers, I think we underrate or don’t fully understand the freedom we have in Christ. Now that being said, I’m mainly talking about myself here but if you feel like this could be you too; by all means let it convict you and help you get better.
The freedom that we gain from placing our faith in Christ is such a magnificent thing. One of the areas that I struggle in even to this day is the shortcomings that I encounter every day. Let me make that plain, the sin that I commit every day! The disappointment of my failures and my desires to want to sin get me down because I believe that I should be different now – I should be better than I was before without Christ. Maybe I’m the only one who feels like that…… I hold this truth closely to my heart and when I fall short I get down upon myself. Just like many of you, I would suppose you get that same feeling at times. You know what you’re supposed to do but for some reason you end up doing what you know you’re not supposed to. How do I fix this issue and get better as a child of God set free. I have to start understanding what Jesus’ free looks like and how it takes away all of the negativity.
When Jesus set us free from sin He took what was used against us for so long as an enabler and made it obsolete! Beautiful! Try to internalize this: The masks we wear to try and fit in, the lies we tell to try and make ourselves look better than what we are, the proud we take in things that don’t matter, the attitudes and grudges we hold onto and of course the bondage of sinful acts that we cling to….. Jesus breaks the chains on all of that! Instead of wearing a mask to hide who you are, Jesus frees you and helps you understand your worth so you don’t need to hide your true self any longer; you’re free to be the person God wanted you to be. Instead of lying to make yourself look good, Jesus helps us to see that none of us have hit the mark of perfection in this life so there’s no need to live up to any other person’s expectation – you are free to live as God desires, not man! Instead of striving to get stuff to look like your life is full, Jesus frees us from the worldly possessions and assures us and promises us eternal riches that will last forever! Instead of holding onto hurts and having a grudge against someone, Jesus shows us how he was treated for our sins and shows us the true meaning of love by dying for us – freeing us from acts of hatred and making us lovers of even those who hurt us. And lastly, instead of us feeling trapped in our natural and normal sins that we felt we could never overcome, Jesus frees us from the guilt of our sin because when we believe in him, there is no condemnation for our sins, making it easier to consider how we’ll get passed them because we are now relying on his teachings not our own thinking.
This freedom is the releasing of the burdens that sin put on our backs. It frees us from guilt, selfish ambition, greed, anger, malice and every other sin that was used to keep us separated from God. We are free to live as Jesus with no reservations because we know who we’re grateful to, who we should want to please and most importantly who freed us.
Today if you’re in the same boat as me, we pray that this devotional has helped put you on the road to fully understanding the freedom that Jesus has given all those who would accept it and not underrate how necessary it is for us to live lives full of hope and promise – not just in this life, but in the life to come as well. If the Son set’s us free and you will be free in every aspect of your life here on Earth, the only question remains is will you take your freedom or stay in bondage of the enemy? Embrace the freedom in Christ and see what living is truly like when it’s unlimited! In Jesus’ name, AMEN!