True Freedom

This past Sunday the Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge choir was the guest speaker/singer at our church. They come once a year and it is a service both my husband and I cry through. The testimonies of God’s grace, mercy, and power to change lives is so present in the room there is nothing to do but praise Jesus for the freedom that comes with salvation.

As one woman was telling her story of slavery to drugs to freedom in Jesus, she made this profound statement:

It's not the tools we learn in this program that saves me. It's Jesus.

For in the Son all our sins are cancelled, and we have the release of redemption through his very blood.

Colossians 1:14TPT

Freedom

Freedom (redemption) in the Bible means that a price has been paid.

During the era that the New Testament was written there were approximately 60 million slaves in the Roman Empire They were bought and sold like pieces of furniture.

But a man could purchase a slave and set him free, and this is what Jesus did for us.

The price for our freedom was Jesus’ own blood.

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT

Forgiveness

Forgiveness means to send away or set free.

In the Old Testament there was a yearly ritual described in Leviticus 16 called the Day of Atonement. The priest would take 2 goats to present to the Lord as an offering. One goat was chosen to be killed and offered as a sacrifice. The other goat was called the scapegoat and would be sent away from the camp into the wilderness. After following both those instructions the people were purified of their sins and made right with God.

Now remember that the Tabernacle and all the articles, rooms, and rituals were only a “copy” of what Jesus was going to accomplish through the cross. Hebrews 9:23

Jesus died to “carry away” our sins so they might never be seen again.

With the price of His blood he gave us freedom through redemption and sent away (forgave) all our sins.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John 1:29 NLT

Live Free!

This means that you are:

• Free to live a life of freedom.

Jesus’ blood has made you completely and wonderfully free. Take a stand on that truth and refuse to go back to the slavery of the past sins.

Let me be clear, the Anointed One has set us free—not partially, but completely and wonderfully free! We must always cherish this truth and stubbornly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past. Galatians 5:1 TPT

• Free to live in your new identity.

Your old way of life was nailed to the cross. You are no longer at sin’s beck and call. You now have new life and you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. Romans 6:6 NLT

• Free to live under abundant grace.

When the enemy tries to accuse you of the past or even current mistakes, picture yourself standing under the cascading waterfall of God’s grace and mercy.

Since we are now joined to Christ, we have been given the treasures of redemption by his blood—the total cancellation of our sins—all because of the cascading riches of his grace. Ephesians 1:7 TPT

Take a Stand

The enemy will continue to try to pull you back into the slavery of sin. Be aware of his tactics.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NLT

• When do you feel the weakest against the lies of the enemy?
• How do you take a stand against the enemy’s trickery and deception?
• Who can you ask right now to stand beside you in faith and pray?

Salvation is a free gift for you, but purchasing salvation was not free for Jesus. It cost him his life and his blood.

Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know.

1 Peter 1:21 MSG

Take a few minutes to stop and thank Jesus for everything He went through to purchase your freedom.