When people talk about freedom, it’s generally in the context of government and country. Jesus talked about freedom. But his freedom is much broader. It is spiritual freedom, which is misunderstood and downplayed and even dismissed by many people. It is, however, the most important freedom that we have.
One time when Jesus was talking with “the Jews who had believed him,” he told them, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”1 But their response was “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free?’”2 They did not believe that they had a problem with slavery and freedom. And maybe we do not either. After all, we live in America! We are free!
But our sin enslaves us. At every turn. Even those of us who are believers, even disciples of Jesus, struggle with this daily. We think we are free. But Jesus said, “Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”3
What does it mean to be “free indeed”? Read Galatians. The concept of slavery and freedom is weaved throughout the whole letter. Paul says that “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”4 Which is quite interesting because it appears that we are susceptible to being slaves even though “Christ has set us free!” How is that possible?
Because sin is that powerful. We underestimate its impact on our lives. We underrate Satan’s deception and influence. He will appear to be good and we will be tempted to “submit again to a yoke of slavery.” But Jesus reminds us that “we are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”5 We are heirs to the kingdom!
It’s quite exciting! As children of God, we are heirs to the kingdom of God, to heaven, to living eternally in a perfect world with God and with people who love God. And while we await that kingdom to be ushered in, we are to live freely, “For you were called to freedom, brothers.”6 Interestingly enough, the enslavement that the Jews (and we) are deceived by is trying to be a good person! For the Pharisees instructed everyone that we must obey God’s law in order for him to love us. It is still the most accepted “religious” idea of the day. And it is just not true.
Obeying the laws, being a good person—these are not what God requires! And thank God for that, because we cannot always obey the law nor can we always be a good person. What does God want from us? His trust. Simply that we believe in him. That we believe that Jesus was his Son and that he died for us in order that we might be acceptable to him.
When we trust in Jesus, he begins to live in us and we begin our transformation of becoming more and more like him. And that is when we discover what it is like to be “free indeed.” To be free in Christ is the most redemptive state there is. It is so much more than the wonderful patriotic freedom. That’s why Jesus said, “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”7 And the only way to experience this freedom is to not “submit again to the yoke of slavery!”4 Just don’t! Choose Christ. “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?”8
Compared to God, everything else is “weak and worthless.” Life in Christ is liberating, so let us not be tempted to be under the yoke, the weight, of slavery today. Just for today. One day at a time, people!
1John 8:31 2John 8:33 3John 8:34-36 4Galatians 5:1 5Galatians 4:7 6Galations 5:13 7John 8:36 8Galations 4:8-9
After many years as a believer in Christ I, too, thought that I knew freedom. However, this recent experience revealed in me that I was walking in a complacent state of bondage. What “felt” like freedom was not freedom at all. A life of striving to please men is total bondage. A life in desperate need of a loving Lord is absolute liberation. I am learning to call on the name of Jesus.