Freedom is a theme that runs through Christianity. But what is freedom for the Christian? The strongest teaching of freedom that we find in the Bible is freedom from the shame and guilt of sin. Christianity espouses that every human being is born in a state of sin (Psalm 51:5) and that a sense of guilt and personal shame casts a dark shadow over our lives. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, the darkness is expelled and we’re alleviated from the heavy burden of guilt. Because Jesus offers himself to take on the punishment that we deserve, we are able to be free. Jesus says, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt 11:30, NIV). This is how freedom from guilt and shame works. Paul says in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now now condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we have been set free.
Connected to this is a second dimension of freedom that comes with knowing Christ and that is freedom from sinning. The Holy Spirit not only convicts us when we’re faced with temptation and sin, but because of God’s grace he also makes his power available to overcome falling into sin. When faced with evil, we are able to overcome because it is that same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead that abides in Christians even today. Paul makes precisely this point in Romans 6:1–14
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Another dimension of freedom in Christianity is freedom from death. Death is a reality that we all face. Life, unfortunately, is a tragedy. No matter how long death marks human reality, we still never get used to it. All of our lives we’re approaching death, even from the day of our birth. Death too casts a shadow over all of our days. Even though we know it’s coming, we feel deep pain when we lose a loved one, and we are even fearful looking into the face of death. Humanity is enslaved to death. Through the resurrection fo Jesus, however, we are liberated from the chains of death. Because of Jesus’ substitutionary atonement (dying in the place of the believer), he not only takes on our life, we we also take on his. He exchanges his everlasting life for our own. This is one of the dimensions of the symbol of baptism: resurrection after death. Through Jesus, then, we gain freedom from death.
Yet another dimension of freedom for Christians is freedom from the disease of egocentrism. Without Jesus, we are ultimately only ever concerned about ourselves. This posture of self-centeredness is the complete opposite of Jesus’ heart posture. Jesus was ultimately concerned with others. Jesus lived for others and died for others. He was willing to give his life for others. This is the exception, not the rule. When we are alive in Jesus, we are free to love others more than ourselves. We gain freedom from being obsessed with our own desires and needs and are thereby set free to love. Paul mentions this in Philippians 2:2–11:
complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
There are even more dimensions of freedom that comes with being in Jesus. This just scratches the surface.
Find strength and freedom in these verses:
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1).
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor 3:7)
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Gal 5:13)
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32)
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36)
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness…” (Gal 5:1–26)
