Freedom, freedom, freedom

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5: 1

I have always been a bit of a sucker for YouTube clips of animals being rescued, whether it’s bears from cages or horses that have fallen into muddy holes, or baby elephants who can’t get out of a waterhole. I love them all and they make me cry. It’s so wonderful to see animals experiencing freedom, sometimes after years of being in a cage or exhausted from struggling to free themselves from a place they’ve trapped themselves in. 

How much more wonderful is it when we realise Jesus has set us free from cages of sin, guilt and despair or muddy holes of bad habits that have imprisoned us for years. This Easter how wonderful to meditate on the wonder of what Jesus did when he died on the cross setting us free to be who God made us to be.

I love seeing bears that have been released from cages lolloping across the grass, jumping into a pool (bears love to swim) or have a good scratch against a tree. It brings tears to my eyes.  I am blown away that Jesus chose me, a not-at-all nice person, lost and drowning in sin to be his child. 

I also am deeply moved when I see those formerly bound by addiction to alcohol, nicotine or gambling free from these bondages. Sin is a terrible taskmaster, binding us into despair and hopelessness but once free, it is so amazing to walk in that freedom to choose life, to choose love.

That’s the most marvellous thing of all - Jesus did this for love, For the joy set before us, he endured the cross, scorning its shame and sitting down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 12: 2).  Jesus doesn’t call us into a life of slavish devotion where we have to constantly appease a vengeful God. No God’s vengeance on sin was fully atoned for by Jesus. God’s wrath was on him. Now we are drawn into a relationship of love – God’s powerful, unconditional love for us and in return we give our feeble adoration that deeply touches God’s heart.  It was love and love alone that took Jesus to the cross and love that kept him there. 

How can we not fall to our knees in overwhelming thankfulness for all God has done? Let’s turn our minds away from virus and lockdown and rejoice in the wonder of our salvation and the freedom we now live in. 

Freedom not punishment

Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. Acts 13: 38 – 39

There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears in not made perfect in love. I John 4: 18

When Jesus died on the cross, he took all of our sin past, present and future and the guilt and the shame upon himself as the perfect sacrifice.  He took all the punishment that was due to us for our sin.  Our sin incurred the death penalty. As it says in Romans 6:23 ‘for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life.’ Jesus took the death penalty for our sin and in a divine exchange, gave us the free gift of eternal life.  It was a complete, finished work.

However, as Christians, when we do wrong our mind set can still be that God is angry with us and wants to punish us. We need to get hold of this divine truth that God does not want to punish us for anything.  Jesus took ALL the punishment due to us for every sin when he died on the cross.  God does not want to punish us when we do wrong but to set us free from sin and its consequences.

If we look at God’s Word in the light of God’s desire to free us from sin, it takes us from a vengeful God ready to pounce on every wrongdoing to a God that longs for his people to be liberated from the burden of their mistakes. 

This amazing thought can free us from fear; fear of failure, fear of sinning, fear of punishment, fear of judgment, fear of disappointing God.  We cannot disappoint God because he knows what we will do before we do it. Disappointment comes when things do not work out as expected.  If God knows what is going to happen, he cannot be disappointed. 

When we sin or when God shows us our shortcomings, our proud thoughts and bad attitudes, we must resist every temptation to think that God is angry or disappointed in us. We must take hold of the truth that God is liberating us from these shortcomings.

God hates sin because it separates us from his unconditional love.  God has dealt with sin in sinful man through Jesus’ death on the cross (Romans 8: 3 – 4).  Let us live in the joy of being forgiven children of God who need have no fear of their loving heavenly Father and let us walk in that wonderful freedom.