“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.’” John 8:34-36 (NLT)
Did Jesus say, “I died so you could be miserable. I gave up everything for you to live in fear. I came as a vulnerable baby, lived in a broken world, died a cruel death, and rose from the grave so you would live without freedom”?
How ludicrous! But don’t we often live enchained in our fear, broken, defeated and enslaved?
Jesus died to set us free!
He rose from the grave to set us free!
He lives to set us free!
A friend of our family was a hoarder. She had lived that way so long, her house was bursting at the seams with all the stuff she had collected over the years. Knowing she was in trouble, she reached out to my mom for help. With the help of friends, her house was sorted, purged and cleaned.
When our friend returned home she flew into a rage and demanded that everything be put back right where it had been.
How similar this is to our journey with God. We call on Him to rescue us from our depravity and He does. Then we proceed to wrap ourselves back up in the chains of sin. Why?
Because it’s familiar, because it’s what we’ve always known, because we feel naked without it.
But the truth is we aren’t naked, we’ve been given new clothes! We are free!
So let’s live like it!
Lord, thank You for coming to save me from the chains of sin. Help me to focus on You and Your power daily. Amen.
Thought: What habits or sinful patterns have you allowed to enslave you? Do you need to do a purging?
by Kristi Huseby
Used by Permission
Further Reading
• How To Be Sure You Are a Christian (video and longer explanation)
• Spiritual Oxygen: Are You Getting Enough?
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