Freedom

Freedom is one of the most discussed ideas in the world but it can still be difficult to describe. Probably because of the huge amount of different subjects it can be applied to. When talking about our new life in the Spirit a description like this workswell, “Exemption from external control.” We say this because of our protection against the various attempts of the Devil to control our life. The Bible promises that: If the Son sets you free, you are truly free. John 8:36 (NLT). Our freedom is possible because Jesus in his righteousness has proven his power to defeat Satan any time he wants. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that Savior has the power to easily fulfill every promise in the Bible. 

Having the full rights of citizenship in a free society is where people can feel independent. This is how we feel as Christians. Only God is truly independent but we have been joined with him through Jesus. He gives us the privilege of being truly free. Of course we become free to be like the Lord but to be different than him is foolish. Peter said it this way: For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 1 Peter 2:16. Anything we do that is not righteous or godly is, by its origin, an evil act. All disobedience to the ways of God places us in disagreement with our Creator. If we agree that righteousness produces the very best life, then it is some form of insanity to do anything else. 

Paul was the only one to explain the reason for our freedom. It isso that we can be free to live a righteous life and a loving Father can adopt us. No one is too old for God’s adoption because his family will live forever. This is Paul’s public statement: God sent him (Jesus) to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. Galatians 4:5-7. Paul says “slaves to the law” but today we would probably say “slaves to sin”. These are two ways of saying the same thing because we all have failed to keep the law which makes us sinners. 

We know this is true because of teachings in other places. Starting with this warning: So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. Galatians 5:1. Then we receive this information: But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. Romans 6:22 . Paul tells us that we are free from sin which means we are not a slave to any law on earth. This is due to the fact that the Spirit of God’s law now lives inside of the redeemed. Another freedom linked to these others is given in this verse: the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. Romans 8:21. The greatest freedom possible is to be adopted by God.

Unfailing Love

Christians want to communicate their testimony about the Son of God. This is a natural response when we feel the relief from the burden of sin. Our story should start by explaining what it is about Jesus that attracted us in the first place. Believers agree that at some point in their life they felt an overwhelming need for help. And then it was as if a great strong hand reached down and pulled us to safety. We believe that this first love of the Savior will be with us into eternity. Of course we are attracted to Him because Jesus lowered himself to become a human. He then demonstrated in person how much he loved every-day people. 

Never would we think that the King of Creation would consider becoming human. But we read: So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness… John 1:14 (NLT). Many of us have trouble loving other people for a complete day. We do know that a mother can love their child blindly, not caring if the kid deserves it or not. It is very different with God who loves us completely but tells us that after our death there will be a judgment of our life. Real love always contains justice. Our failures to obey the Creator have not changed his love for us although judgment must come sooner or later. 

What our disobedience has done, is turn the world into a dark place full of ignorance and misery. This is why God sent his Son to live with us on earth. Jesus said: I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. John 12:46. The love that God has for us is certainly shown by the fact that Jesus has come with the solution for our darkness. Accepting the love of God doesn’t require any greatness out of us. When we join in the light that Christ brought, we simply put our trust in him and begin to live a new life that his Spirit will provide for us. 

The world gets a glimpse of the righteousness in Heaven when the light of God’s love shines in the life of a dedicated man or woman. Our Lord used a very unusual man to declare that Jesus had arrived from Heaven. He was an old fashion prophet who lived in the desert but he had the privilege to introduce the Lord of love.  His name was John the Baptist and the Bible tells us: Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! Clear the road for him! Luke 3:4. Every believer must clear the ways of this world out of their life. This world believes nothing about the unfailing love that Jesus brought to earth two thousand years ago. 

The greatness of God’s love is shown in everything Jesus ever did. One example is when the Savior sent Paul out to give us the message that we are free from the Law. Instead of harshness, Paul was to carry the message of love and freedom. We read that Jesus had included the Gentiles in his love: … to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’ Acts 26:18. The salvation message given to all humans is full of unfailing love. This complete love is infectious and lives in all genuine Christians. 

Most people have heard the message of love even if it was just on a sign at the ballgame. The Scripture says: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16. The love of God has been broadcast around the world but most people still don’t want to have faith in Jesus. But in contrast to this rejection of the truth, our God is unfailing in his love. Consider this wonderful statement for believers: …for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. John 16:27. Our past life will be forgiven and will never be remembered in eternity and we will live without any of this world’s ways.

Throughout the new covenant the writers speak about God’s unfailing love for his people. Everyone should want to have a father that loves them. The Bible says: See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1. Jesus reassured his followers that a good father always has gifts for his children. Salvation is the greatest gift that could ever be given. We are told: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8. Christians want to live a life that pleases God but we must have help. We don’t need to displease our Creator any longer because: … you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15. 

Can we believe God loves us this much?

God and His People

New people are the important thing to God. We know that a normal person is naturally born into all the old failures that have been with people since Adam and Eve. But today God is interested in a new type of person. This was explained at the “Last Supper” when Jesus told us about a special agreement that God had made with fallen people. Luke recorded what was said that night: After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you. Luke 22:20 (NLT). God sacrificed his own Son so that many new children could be born through the Divine blood of our Savior. In other words that blood makes it possible for God’s Spirit to build repentant people into the “new” family of God. 

The new covenant from God allows the redeemed person to inherit a whole list of new things into their life. Because we “die with Christ” ( meaning we abandon our old life) and then our new life begins to fill-up with new things to do. The new life begins: Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. Colossians 3:10. When anyone receives a new nature a thousand daily things will change. There is a problem created by some when they try to believe but at the same time they will refuse to take-off their old nature. It is our job to “put on” the new nature. God does not force the new nature on us, but a true Christian desires to change their nature with His help. The old world cannot understand how we enjoy our new nature because their old nature is continually controlling them. 

There is a wonderful theme to the “new nature” that we are given. It is that we want to obey God and live a holy life to please him. This is necessary because only holy things can enter into God’s world. Every worldly thing will be destroyed on the Day of Judgment. The Bible says: Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:23-24. All of redemption is about creating a holy family to live with the great “I AM” in eternity. Paul said: This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17. The ambition of a Christian is to live this life that is pleasing to God. Our new righteous nature will automatically cause us to be hated by many people in this world. We must learn to depend on the Holy Spirit to guide us. 

This wonderful new godly nature is given to us by Jesus through the Spirit. They are both authorized by God to build his new family. The Scripture says: By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. Hebrews 10:20. How amazing that the death of Christ gives new life to people who are spiritually dead. There is certainly no fictitious story that can compare to the real story of redemption. God gave life to people many years ago and we ruined it with our sin. Because of his love for us we have a second chance through his wonderful Son. Always remember what the Savior has done and honor him by living a life that he can be proud of. Wow! We can belong to the family of God.

Son of God Revealed

The average unsaved person does not believe the real Son of God would leave his home in Heaven and come to earth in order to be killed by lowly men. Can we find any fault with their logic when they say this is not reasonable and common sense says God would never do something like this? Consider this explanation: God, for his own reasons, decides he wants to have an eternal family of people who all have complete faith in him. He creates this situation where the only way to join him is to have faith in the Son that we have killed. 

Paul said that if this plan does not lead to eternal life then people should feel sorry for us. This is the way he said it: And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. 1 Corinthians 15:19 (NLT). In other words, if the reasoning of man is actually smarter than complete faith in God then Christians have wasted the years that they suffered to serve the Savior. We should be able to see that living by faith is completely different than living like the worldly person. Jesus has become our life. 

Most people know what it means to be born a “blue blood”. Jesus was not simply a poor work class citizen. The Jews have always had the best family records in the world. Mary was from the linage of King David and Joseph was of the linage of King Solomon. These are the two greatest kings that ever lived. Of course they both were children of Abraham who was the father of every person of faith born since. The Bible says: This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham: Matthew 1:1. Jesus is a king.  

Every person has already made a decision to ignore Jesus Christ or to give him their life. It is wise to reconsider our past decisions and make sure of our place in eternity. Maybe this essay will help someone decide if Jesus is for real. One of his disciples wrote this down for us: We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. 1 John 1:1-2. Jesus is life.

History does not deny that 12 men followed the man called Jesus three years and evaluated him every day. Eleven of these men believed in him until they died for his cause. Reality of the Savior will certainly be easy someday when we are living with him in Heaven. However down here in this world it is a deadly problem for all unbelievers. Jesus was happy to give his life for the redemption of some people. The Scripture says: … God has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else. Hebrews 1:9. Jesus is joyful.

Jesus went to a wedding when he was about thirty years old. This event proceeded until the host ran out of wine for his guest. Up until this time people knew Jesus as a prophet but had not seen any miracles. The revealing of Jesus had been gradual. As a baby the angel choir sang for people, as a teenager he showed wisdom to the temple leaders, and then the Baptist proclaimed him at the river. Now we see: This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him. John 2:11. Jesus has great power. 

A very important revealing came after men had killed Jesus. This was his resurrection from Death. For two thousand years Satan’s human helpers have been trying to say that Jesus did not come back to life after they killed him. But for 40 days our Savior showed himself to various groups of people who talked with him. The record is clear that Jesus returned from among the dead. Here is one example given by John: This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead. John 21:14. Jesus is alive today. 

Christians have been ordered to fellowship with the Savior. When a Christian lives their life by obeying the instructions of our master, the Spirit in us becomes real. The Scripture tells us: Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us. 1 John 3:24 . Of course this revealing is done for only one at a time. Although only the individual can feel the Spirit, the witness of our godly life can be seen by the people around us. Jesus can live in a human. 

We have seen some of the facts that reveal Jesus to people. What can we do with these facts that will change our eternity? The Bible tells us simply: We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. Romans 3:22. When we set aside our human excuses and believe that Jesus is really our friend and Savior, it becomes very easy. The biggest problem that people face in a relationship with the Savior is our own ego. Jesus will take some of us to live with him in Heaven.