“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36, ESV
This is a wonderful verse that speaks to the freedom that we have in Christ. In the context of this passage and other New Testament texts (Romans 6:16-17), we have freedom from sin and death. This is a wonderful truth because the imagery in the Bible is that all people are slaves to sin and live in continual bondage. When we put our faith and trust in Christ, and Christ alone, we are set free and no longer have to live as slaves. Praise God!
If this is the case, why does it seem that we are still in bondage to sin? I thought of a dog leash. We had several dogs growing up, which was a wonderful experience for a boy. We had one particular dog, Macy, who would run away quite a bit. As soon as the door would open, she was gone. If we ever went somewhere (which wasn’t often), a collar and a leash would have been necessary. Now, if we would have taken Macy to obedience school, we may have been able to teach her how to obey and not flee at the first sight of freedom. I have seen many dogs in my life that obey faithfully, even if they don’t have a collar or a leash. They have learned to obey their master, even if they aren’t in “bondage” to the collar.
There is a spiritual component to this. Our lives before Christ were characterized by spiritual bondage, in which we simply did what our flesh desired to do. Our master was sin. We didn’t live in freedom, we lived in slavery. When we came to know Christ, the chains were broken and we were set free from spiritual bondage. However, many of us, like a well-trained dog, have become so accustomed to following our sinful master that we continue in our sin, even though we no longer have to. We live as if we are still on a leash! For many of us, this creates feelings of despair and despondency because we feel as if there is no hope for freedom. This is a lie of the enemy! No longer are we slaves to sin, rather we are slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:18). Our new master is Christ and He will lead us to life and spiritual freedom.
If you find yourself still struggling with the same old sins that you always have, you may need to be reminded of who your master is. Don’t believe the lies of the enemy. You are free in Christ and Christ has conquered Sin and death. You don’t have to live with your head hanging as a defeated slave, but with your head held high as a free man or woman in Christ. Sit at the feet of your new master and learn from Him, so that you can learn how to live in victory. As we grow in His ways and His truth, we will find that we struggle less and less with the sins that have seemed to conquer us. Growth doesn’t come all at once, nor does it come easy, but through time and retraining, which we would consider Christian discipleship. The more we follow, the more we grow and the more we grow, the more we will understand the freedom that we have in Christ. Don’t forget this wonderful truth: There is freedom in following Christ!
Keep following, my friends!