Freedom Is Possible

When I was a kid, I would always get upset with my parents because they told me what to do. I felt like I had no freedom. They told me when to go to bed. I couldn’t stay up. I couldn’t watch this TV show. I couldn’t eat this food. I felt restricted. I felt like I didn’t have freedom. Little did I know that they were instilling discipline in me and that what they said was good for me. But I felt like I was not free.

Now that I’m an adult, I know better. But even as an adult, I thought freedom was doing what I wanted, with whoever I wanted, the time that I wanted to. But as you age and experience life, you realize that’s not freedom. That’s a childlike way of thinking about what freedom is. Freedom isn’t doing what I want, what I want with, whoever I want, freedom is the ability to walk away from something or someone, who is trying to control me and tying me down. It is self-control.

Before knowing Jesus, as our Savior, that’s not possible. Because we walk by the flesh and not by the Spirit. But when you put your faith and trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives in you and all of a sudden what used to be OK is not OK anymore.

Now as you live your life, the Holy Spirit tells you- that you shouldn’t talk that way to that person. You should put that phone down. You should give your money to God. You should ask for forgiveness. You should grant forgiveness. All of a sudden what used to be OK is not OK anymore. Things change.

And the reason we’re changing is because the Holy Spirit is telling us what is right and wrong. But it’s also because when we walk with God, we begin to read His word, and His word begins to tell us the truth.

That is why Jesus said “If you hold to my teaching, you are my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 NIV

Seriously, that one line is so powerful and that is what it all comes down to. Knowing God’s word, because the word of God is truth. And if we don’t know the word of God, we will be deceived and we will live lies. We live in sin. 

That my friends is why we are not free.

That is why we are sexually confused. 

We continue to steal. 

We hold onto anger. 

We don’t forgive. 

We let jealousy take over. 

And we let greed and money control us because we don’t know what the word of God says. We live our lives by what we feel like and live how the world lives. But that is not true. That is how we stay in bondage and enslaved to sin. 

Jesus says the Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8: 34-36).

If we want to be free from sin, we need to live by the truth - God’s word and we need to surrender to Jesus. Because Jesus is Truth for the Bible says, that the word became flesh! (John 1: 1). 

So, when you put your faith in Jesus, you have found truth. 

When you do what Jesus says, you have found truth. When you read God’s Word, you have found truth. 

When you know the truth and practice the truth you will be free. And you no longer live in sin but live by the Spirit. 

So, do you know God’s word?

Do you have a Bible (manual Bible or Bible app)?

Are you part of a church which preaches God’s word?

Are you part of a group which teaches God’s Word?

Are you listening to sermons or podcasts on God’s word?

If you are not, START NOW!

Read his word. 

Journal with God.

Pray to God.

Get connected to a church.

Get connected to a small group.

It’s never too late to learn God’s Word, because when you let his word penetrate your heart your life will get better and you will be free.

Freedom is not doing what you want, with who you want, whenever you want. Freedom is living according to God’s word, trusting Jesus, and having self-control and when you do you will have peace and be free