Freedom, we all love freedom but what does that actually mean? What does that actually look like? How do we define freedom? This is something the Lord has been showing me lately, what it actually means to be free.

So, first off, let me ask you a question. How do you define freedom? Or how would most people in the world define freedom? Being able to do WHATEVER you want, WHENEVER you want to. Not limitations, no laws, nobody telling me what I can or cannot do. Drink as much as I want, marry who I want, do what drugs I want, sleep with whoever I want, watch what I want. That is how I think most people would define freedom. BUT, lets take a look at Scripture and see what it says.

Galatians 5:1 “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” So, according to Galatians, what does freedom look like, and what does slavery look like? Christ has set us freedom. So, true freedom is found in Christ and slavery. Now, in the context of Galatians slavery would probably have to do with the Law, going back to the law as a means of being justified. See in Galatians 1:6-9 that there are those who are preaching a different gospel than Paul presented to the Galatians.

Now, we have a problem. The world defines freedom one way, and the Bible another way. What do we believe? (right answer, the Bible!) We need to understand that Jesus has set us free. That in Christ, through Christ we GET TO walk in freedom, NOT have to. Do you get that? Because this was big for me to learn. I GET TO walk in freedom in Christ, not have to. I GET TO follow Christ, and allow him to be my Lord, NOT have to. True freedom is when CHRIST is lord of your life, when you have been crucified to him (Gal. 2:20), and now you allow Christ to live through you. THAT is true freedom.

Paul talks about this in a way of “who are you a slave to” in Romans 6:15-23. You are a slave to that which you obey, either to sin, or to righteousness. So, all these people who are running around saying that they are free, and Christians are in bondage because we HAVE to do what God tells us to do, this is NOT true, Biblically. Actually, the Bible flips that around and says the complete opposite. When Christ is Lord of your life, you are free. And when sin runs rampant in your life, you are a SLAVE to sin. You are not free, are a slave to your sinful desires.

What the Lord really showed me through all this is 2 things:

First, freedom is IN CHRIST. Christ has set me free. And when I die to Christ, THAT is true freedom. When Christ is Lord, THAT is true freedom.

Second, I GET to walk in that freedom, NOT have to. I should be SO excited to have the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-24), to be patient, self-controlled. I should have an attitude that I GET to follow Christ, and I GET to die to my sinful desires everyday, NOT have to. Because for a while I lived with the mentality that everyone else was having all the fun, drinking, having sex, doing whatever they wanted to do. And I HAD TO follow Christ, it was like a chore. This should NEVER be the case. I GET to follow Christ, and allow him to live through me and allow him to be my Lord.

So remember, for freedom Christ has set us free. Christ has set us free.