What did Jesus free us from?

July 10 - June 14, 2023 | Always Peachy Devotionals | Freedom in Christ Week 2

Did you enjoy your Fourth of July?

I have a soft spot for Independence Day celebrations. When I was little, my family would often go down to visit family in northwest Arkansas, and I have clear, vivid memories of chasing fireflies in my great aunt’s backyard with one of my cousins.

The Fourth of July is so much simpler when you’re a kid. The idea of freedom is so much easier when you’re a kid. As an adult, everything gets more complicated.

This month we’re talking about Freedom, but not just freedom in general. We’re focusing on what it means to have Freedom in Christ. Because when Jesus gave His life for us, He set us free. That’s what we say in Church-Speak. Christians are really great at Church-Speak. But do we ever make time to think about what that actually means?

Jesus set us free. Great. Thumbs up, Jesus. Thanks!

But what does it MEAN? What does it look like in our lives? How does our freedom in Christ affect the choices we make from day to day?

So the question we’re tackling this week is about what Jesus freed us from. Sure, we can say He set us free from sin, but what’s the practical side of that? If we don’t know what Jesus set us free from, how will we understand the way we’re supposed to live?

Last week I mentioned the Four Freedoms art series by Norman Rockwell. It’s an iconic set of paintings about the freedoms we like to talk about as citizens of the United States: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear. Regardless of whether you believe those things are true about the United States now, it’s a nice list.

So if those are the freedoms we can count on in America, what are the freedoms we can have in heaven? As citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, what are the freedoms we are guaranteed?

• July 10 - Freedom from performance

• July 11 - Freedom from accusation

• July 12 - Freedom from condemnation

• July 13 - Freedom from the Law

• July 14 - Freedom from fear

Does anyone else feel like dancing just looking at that list of freedoms? Yeah, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate having freedom of speech and religion and peaceably assembly, but all of those things Jesus set us free from are so much better. They are eternal, emotional, personal freedoms that have a huge impact on the way I live my daily life.

Jesus has set us free. That’s what it means. And so that’s what informed the choice of our memory verse for this week, John 8:26.

True freedom goes beyond what is physical. True freedom is spiritual. It’s having the option NOT to sin. It’s having the power to say YES to Jesus and NO to the enemy. True freedom is not having to spend your life striving to be good enough for God to love you; it’s understanding that He already loved you so much He was willing to die for you.

I hope and pray that we all can understand just how much God loves us and what He gave to provide us with freedom. I want to live in freedom, to rest in His love, and to stand on His grace every moment of my life. There’s no other way to live. And I hope each and every one of you will seek that kind of life as well.

Jesus set us free. Let’s stay that way.

Amy

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