Freedom

Freedom

Memorial Day, the day we remember our fallen soldiers that keep our freedom alive.  We celebrate with families, barbecues, lake trips, swimming pool parties, and homemade icecream.  Some visit the graves of all their loved ones, placing flowers to remember the lives that have deceased.

This Memorial Day will be different than most.  My husband is working.  My grandmother is in the hospital.  We have no lake trips and no homemade icecream.  We will be thankful to go swimming this afternoon.  (And I have time to write a blog).

This morning I contemplate freedom.  Not the freedoms we possess in the United States because of many soldiers giving their lives (I will forever be grateful), but freedom that comes through one man.  He gives us the freedom that changes the way we live daily.  He provides freedom that gives us a new family, an eternal family.  He delivers freedom that lives on beyond this temporary world.  The only man that could give us these freedoms, Jesus.

1.  Jesus gives us freedom from slavery.

Yes, we all are born slaves to sin (choosing our way instead of God's).  We need freedom from this sin that separates us from a holy, perfect God.

Romans 8:1-4 (New Living Translation NLT)
 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. ² And because you belong to him, the power^[of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. ³ The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature  So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. ⁴ He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

Romans 8:20 (New American Standard)
²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Only Jesus could provide us freedom from slavery to sin.

2. Jesus gives us freedom to salvation.
Acts 4:12 says, "There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” (speaking of Jesus, emphasis mine) (NLT)

Jesus saves  us from the penalty of sin, death (Romans 6:23). Through his death on the cross and resurrection, he provides eternal freedom.

3.  Jesus gives us freedom to sonship (and daughtership)

Romans 8:15-17 (NLT)
¹⁵ So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ And since we are his children, we are his heirs.

and Romans 8:21 again says, "set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the the glory of the children of God."

I love that because we are children of God through Jesus, we call God "Abba" or "Daddy".  We have the freedom to talk to God as our personal daddy, who cares about our every need.

4. Jesus gives us freedom to Spirit living.

  Romans 8:4 (again) says, "He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

and Romans 8:15(again), "So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.

Galatians 5:24-25 (NLT) says, " Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. ²⁵ Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives."

How I'm thankful for the freedom Jesus gives me.  Have you experienced true, eternal freedom through Jesus?  As a follower of Jesus, what freedoms do you love?

Freedom

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