“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” – John 8:36
Jesus, the Son of God, didn’t come into our world to bind and burden you. He came to set you free! How? By believing in Him as Savior and Lord, turning from your sins and following Him.
Jesus set you free from sin’s power. Apart from Jesus, you can’t help but sin. You try not to, but it dominates and drives you. When you trust in Jesus you become a new creation with the freedom to not sin. Don’t take your freedom for granted by indulging sin.
Jesus set you free from sin’s consequence, which is death. Death entered the world because of sin. Why? Because rebellion against God (which all sin is) separates you from the source of life (which is God). Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead having defeated sin and death. When you trust in Jesus, you’re set free from death’s power. Your body will certainly die (unless Jesus returns first) but your soul won’t. Death is not the wall you imagine but a door into God’s visible presence. Don’t take your freedom for granted by living in fear of death.
Jesus set you free from the burden of trying to save yourself. Apart from Jesus, you have no power to save yourself from your sins. Nonetheless, you may have tried through systems of rules, laws, religions. Every other system of faith is about what a person must do to save themself. How often to pray. What to say. What to give. Where to go. Jesus set you free from the impossibility of saving yourself. He suffered and died on the cross to save you as a gift of God’s grace. All you must do is believe. Don’t take that freedom for granted by adding man-made rules and systems to your faith.
Jesus set you free from having to conform to the world. The fundamental invitation of Jesus is to follow Him. It’s an invitation to live a life filled with His Spirit, walking in step with His presence. This is an invitation to do what He said to do out of love, joy, and delight for the freedom He’s given. If you let Him, He’ll guide you in paths of blessing and purpose far greater than those you would find for yourself based on the world’s ideals, attractions, and pressures. Don’t take that freedom for granted by continuing to follow the world’s priorities. #FollowJesus