Freedom is God transforming you to be who He always knew you to be!
In the beginning, humanity was created in God’s image, to love as He loves. Through Adam and Eve’s sin, this image was put to death, along with our ability to be with Him and to love as He loves.
Sin separates us from God. So much so, we are seen by God as His enemy.
6 While we were still weak, at the right moment, Christ died for ungodly people. 7 It isn’t often that someone will die for a righteous person, though maybe someone might dare to die for a good person. 8 But God shows his love for us, because while we were still sinners Christ died for us. 9 So, now that we have been made righteous by his blood, we can be even more certain that we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. 10 If we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son while we were still enemies, now that we have been reconciled, how much more certain is it that we will be saved by his life? 11 And not only that: we even take pride in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, the one through whom we now have a restored relationship with God. (Romans 5, CEB)
Do you hear what takes place through the work of Christ?
You are reconciled to God. You are made righteous. You have a restored relationship with Him.
You are free!
34 Jesus answered, “I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 A slave isn’t a permanent member of the household, but a son is. 36 Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you really will be free. (John 8, CEB)
17 The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord’s Spirit is, there is freedom. 18 All of us are looking with unveiled faces at the glory of the Lord as if we were looking in a mirror. We are being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to the next degree of glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3, CEB)
Freedom in Christ means He defines who you are. Through His work, you are fully loved! You are approved, valued, wanted and adopted into His family.
When you look in the mirror, you are free to see you as God sees you! He sees someone made new, holy, righteous and full of His glory!
You are no longer defined by any past mistakes that you have made or any sins committed against you.
You are free!
His love fills you. This means you can freely and truly love the people in your life. You are not loving them to receive love back, rather you love them because you are loved.
Feelings, the ups and downs of life, no longer define you or can change you. Only God’s truth has a say over your life.
So often in life, we are only doing as well as life is going. Right? In Christ, we can have peace and contentment no matter what happens.
11 I’m not saying this because I need anything, for I have learned how to be content in any circumstance. 12 I know the experience of being in need and of having more than enough; I have learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry or whether having plenty or being poor. 13 I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength. (Philippians 4, CEB)
You are free!
In the busyness of life, this is so easy to forget. My prayer is for you to remember this today and that God would remind you every time you need it!
Blessings,
Pastor Matt
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