What does it mean to be free?

By Rev. George McDowell from Switzer First Baptist Church

We celebrate Independence Day on the 4th of July each year. We call it Independence Day because it symbolizes the birth of our nation, represents the Declaration of Independence, and reminds us of our freedom from Great Brittan. Yes, we are free, but what exactly does it mean to be free? Or to put it differently, what is freedom?  

Freedom from foreign rule is what most reply to that question, and yes, that is one kind of freedom, but let’s talk about another, let’s talk about the freedom Christ spoke about.

The Apostle Paul wrote about freedom in his second letter to the Christians at Corinth when he stated in 3:17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

As a Christian, that is easily understood, but for someone who has not accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, that must be confusing. Paul further defines the freedom of a Christian in Romans 8:1-2 when he wrote “the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

I’m sure by now you see where I’m going with this, but let’s simplify it. If you jump from an airplane, you are free from the confines of the plane, but you are about to lose your life if you have no parachute. But if you wear the parachute and jump, you still have that freedom from confinement, but you also have the joy and excitement of a great ride along with a safe landing. In other words, you are given yet another day to laugh, love, and live. Jumping from an airplane without a chute is like living without the protection of Christ because that means you still have the weight of a lifetime of sin upon your back and one day as you stand before Christ at Judgment, you will bear the burden of those sins. And if that happens, you are going lose your freedom and bust hell wide open.

But with Christ as your Savior, as your parachute, He will be with you for the entire ride of your life. Christ will also be the One who will stand at your side before our Heavenly Father and proudly proclaim that you have been “washed by the Blood of the Lamb” and free from the bondage of sin!

That’s freedom. That’s true freedom! And to gain that freedom, all you have to do is ask God’s forgiveness.

But one more thing, the forgiveness is free, but YOU have to ask!