True Freedom is Yours

When you hear the word FREEDOM, what does it mean to you? It might mean freedom FROM something: substance abuse, illness, debt, incarceration, or toxic relationships. It might mean the freedom to DO something: practice your faith, walk down the street without fear, spend time with your kids, or express yourself. Every single one of those things is important, but freedom, TRUE freedom, is so much more. And it is important for us Followers of Jesus to remember that our freedom wasn’t free.
The entire Gospel shows us how we can have TRUE freedom. When Jesus was just starting His ministry, He quoted Isaiah’s prophecy that He had been sent to “proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18). In that moment, He made it perfectly clear that our freedom exists because of our relationship with Him. Even more, He says it is available only to those who “hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).
You might think that freedom means the ability to do whatever you want. Jesus, through His Word, teaches us that TRUE freedom begins with a loving, obedient relationship with God. As our Creator He knows us better than we know ourselves. His desire is to bless us spiritually, physically, and financially. As part of our relationship with Him, He wants to enrich us in every way and free us from fear and anxiety!
If we want the kind of freedom Jesus offers, we need to dedicate ourselves to our relationship with Him. They only way you or I can experience TRUE FREEDOM is by making Jesus our Lord, by devoting ourselves to His Word, by accepting the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and by allowing His Word, our devotion to Him, and our acceptance of Him to direct every part of our lives.
Jesus’ plan was and is always to give you TRUE freedom.