I’m Free
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Salvation, through Jesus Christ, makes us free.
Jesus died for us - in our place. So now, we don’t have to face the punishment for sin.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
We don’t have to hide from God anymore. He is not angry with us. He has forgiven us.
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Ro 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Ro 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Unsaved people are under the bondage of sin. Sin comes natural to them. It’s what they do.
But we don’t have to do that anymore. You have a power within you that frees you from that bondage. You are free to obey - free to do righteousness.
Ga 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Ro 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
Ga 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
The law has no power to save us or to make us better. All the law can do is show us where we fail. It points out our flaws. It is powerless to save.
Ro 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Mr 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Lu 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Lu 12:23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
Having something much more valuable than the things of this world, we have been set free from the bondage of things. Everything we own in this world will perish. Why hold on to them? We have a much greater reward.
Joh 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
To begin with, you can’t please men. No matter what you do, someone will be unhappy with it. If you try to please everybody, you will ultimately please nobody.
But really, we don’t have to please men. We only have to please God. What freedom that is!
Joh 12:43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Col 3:22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
Ultimately, we only have to please God. He is the one whose judgment counts. Everybody else’s judgment is just an opinion.
The bondage of pleasing men is costly. Herod had Jesus executed in order to please the crowd. What a price he must have paid for that.
We do not have to conform to the world. We don’t have to go along with it’s plans and schemes. We don’t have to give in to it’s pressures.
Ro 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
1Jo 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
The world is comfortable only with those who conform. But we are not to conform to the world.
Remember who your judge will be in the end - not the world, but God.
Self is probably the worst bondage there is. The natural inclination of man is to want to be his own God. We want to do what we want to do. We want to be in control. We want t prove our independence.
But, in reality, we are dependent upon the mercies of God. Happy is the person who has discovered that truth and lives by it.
Pr 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Pr 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: …
You are free from having to prove yourself, and free from the bondage of having to be yourself. What bondage it is to have to maintain an image.
(I don’t like country music. Everybody who knows me knows I don’t like country music. Now, I like Garth Brooks, and Hank Williams Jr., and Charlie Daniels, and Glen Campbell - but remember, I am not a country music fan.
For 40 years I have not liked country music. A lot of the songs I write and sing have a country flavor, but don’t let that fool you - I don’t like country music. That is important for you to understand. God forbid that anybody should ever get the idea that I like country music.)
What bondage!
Now here is some real bondage. The tyrant of success says everybody has to be successful. We have to make a certain amount of money and produce a certain amount of goods; we have to have a certain amount of worldly goods.
We live in a world of haves and have nots. The haves are the successful people. They have more than their share. The have nots are the failures. They don’t have it easy like the haves do. They have to settle for less; they don’t make as much money; they don’t have as many things.
But then, what is success? And who says we have to measure up to that standard? Who sets the standard? Why do we have to keep up with the Jones’s?
The truth is, we are free from that bondage, too. We don’t have to please anybody but God. We do not have to measure up to the world’s standard of success.
This is a very freeing truth. You don’t really have to do anything but please God. Everything else is bondage. In the end, we will answer to God alone.
Recently, Princess Diana died - a great success in the eyes of the world. She was beautiful, rich, famous - but was she happy? Was she fulfilled? Was she saved? Where is she now?
Also, Mother Theresa died - a success in the eyes of those who believe that helping others is best ; a failure in the eyes of those who believe possessions are important. She was unattractive, poor, and always surrounded by unsuccessful people - the outcast and unwanted.
And there was the missionary to South America who served a lifetime and died on the mission field without a single convert to his credit. Yet his relentless prayer paved the way for the great revival that is taking place on that continent today. Was he a success or a failure?
A few days ago John Denver died. He was rich, successful, his music entertained millions and will be around for decades. But why was he given to drunkenness? Was he happy? Was he truly successful? Where is he now?
Christian, be aware - you have no one to please but God. Success in the world sometimes comes with a huge price tag.
In the end, you will answer to no one but God. How will you stand then?
And how will you live today? Millions are miserable with life because they feel that success continually eludes them. Hey, you are free from that bondage.
We are not in bondage to anything. We are free indeed!