John
8:31-32 says we're free in Christ. If you think about that for a
while, you realize that you don't just get free from things. You're also free
to do things.
What Are You Free From?
Romans
6:7 tells us we're set free from the power of sin. That doesn't
mean we won't ever sin again. But we're set free from the power of sin, which I
believe is shame and guilt. If we're in Christ, we don't have to feel that way
anymore. We can be sorry and then ask God to forgive us, and He absolutely
will. The Bible says there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus (see
Romans 8:1 NIV).
Romans 8:1 NIV).
In Christ, we're set free from our own self-hatred,
self-rejection and self-doubt. There are so many people in the world who do not
like themselves. But the Bible doesn't really give us that choice. It says God
formed you in your mother's womb, made you with His own hand—and everything He
does is good. So if you're going to live by the Word, you're going to have to
make the decision to like yourself.
God created us to please Him, which sets us free from the
need to please people.. That doesn't mean we don't want to be good to people.
It means we're set free from the tyranny of people's rejection, criticisms,
judgments and misunderstandings.
Think about it this way: When a child gets teased at school,
they run home to their parents who inevitably tell them, "It's okay. We
love you. We think you're great. It doesn't matter what anybody else says or
thinks." Then the child starts to feel a lot better.
Well, when we feel like we've been hurt, we have the freedom
to run to God and tell Him how we feel. And inevitably, He'll saying something
like, "Well, I love you and I think you're pretty wonderful. And it
doesn't matter what anybody says—I haven't given up on you."
I don't know about you, but whenever God talks to me, I
always end up feeling pretty good!
What Are You Free to Do?
“ I don't know about you, but whenever God talks to me, I
always end up feeling pretty good! ”
In Christ, we're free to step out and try something new.
Making a mistake shouldn't make one bit of difference to us because God isn't
worried about our earthly success; He's interested in our heart. He wants to
see if we're willing to step out and do what we feel is right.
In Christ, you're also free to enjoy life…to enjoy God…to
enjoy yourself. He delights in you. And in Christ, we're free to be secure and
comfortable with anybody, anywhere—poor or rich, highly educated or not.
The Freedom of Knowing Who You Are
According to Galatians 2:6, God isn't impressed by titles or
reputations or the positions people hold on earth. We can wear ourselves out
trying to impress each other, but God's not impressed. We may think associating
with people who we think are important makes us important; but it's not what
makes you important to God.
The reason you are important is because you're in Christ and
He's in you. How much more important can you get?