It is for Freedom that Christ has set us Free!

Christ has set us free!

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

2 Corinthians 3:17 emphasizes that the presence of the Spirit brings freedom. I believe this verse points to more than freedom from sin or the constraints of the law. Freedom can mean many things to many people, but freedom, for its own sake, is a transformative position and mindset. Spiritually, it is one of the keys to the victorious life that God has promised us. So, the question remains: Why do so many believers still live in bondage?

I believe one aspect of this condition is a misunderstanding of how the Holy Spirit interacts differently with unbelievers and believers. For the unbeliever, the Holy Spirit’s role is conviction of sin. God desires that all should come to salvation. John 3:16. The Spirit convicts the world of sin because they do not believe in Him. This unbelief is what keeps the world separated from God. For the believer, Romans 8:1 says, “There is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ.” This means the Holy Spirit’s focus is on spiritual growth, moving from awareness of sin to transformation over sin, resulting in complete sanctification.

Comfort and Guidance: The Spirit provides comfort and direction in the lives of believers, helping them navigate challenges and make decisions aligned with God's will.

Empowerment: The Spirit empowers individuals to live out their faith, equipping them with the strength and courage needed to fulfill God's purpose.

Transformation: The presence of the Spirit is transformative, bringing about change in the lives of believers and impacting all that they contact. A believer that remains in a “sin-conscious” pattern is not free. This matters because your understanding of the Holy Spirit can shape how you relate to God. Is He someone that you run to, or is He someone that you are afraid to approach? The believer now stands before God, not hoping for acceptance but completely accepted by God. This is why condemnation no longer has a rightful place in the life of a believer.

If you believe the Spirit’s primary role is conviction and exposure of sin, you will live guarded and self-focused. If you live with the understanding that the Spirit’s purpose is assurance, confidence, and truth through sanctification, you will live secure and transformed. Sanctification flows from your new identity, not from accusation. God does not continually prosecute what He has already pardoned. Heb 9:14 says “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” If this is true, and our very consciences have been cleared, why do many believers still live in bondage to guilt?

When we stumble as believers, the Holy Spirit does not drive us back into shame. He pulls us into truth AND REMINDS US OF WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST. The Holy Spirit always agrees with our Advocate, not the accuser! Rom 2:4 “Or do you show contempt for the richness of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” Repentance flows from the pursuit of righteousness, not from being crushed by condemnation. Could the real issue beneath this debate be where attention is focused? Believers who focus on sin management tend to focus on behaviors, while those who pursue righteousness find true transformation. So, “complete freedom” is available with the proper focus and understanding?

Where the Spirit of the Lord Is

 Luke 4: 16-21 “Then Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. And when He stood up to read, the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then Jesus rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him, and He began by saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” This prophecy about Jesus speaks volumes about His mission to set us free. He came to heal our hearts and offer hope and restoration. This ensures that we are not defined by our past struggles but empowered to walk in new beginnings.

Freedom in Christ signifies more than liberation from sin and the law’s rigidity. It should move freely through our emotions, thoughts, disappointments, and expectations (ours or those that have been imposed on us) by others. It should set us free from family characteristics that can so easily define us. This freedom should be manifested freely in our relationships with others, not restricted by what others may think of us. It should free us from self-grading and self-comparison with others. But many times, emotional burdens, fears, and anxieties can weigh on us, like an anchor dragging us back into slavery. When Jesus said that He came to set the captives free, He meant every scenario we have or will ever encounter in this life. John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free; then stand firm!” Standing firm against the temptations that would lead us back into any self-imposed, self-limiting bondage.

I grew up with the mindset that the freedoms that I am writing about were primarily in the future. SOMEDAY, something that would happen when Jesus returned or when we would see Him face to face. The more I study the Bible and experience God and His freedom, the more I realize that mindset or teaching doesn’t align with biblical truth. This freedom is for today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, with ultimate completion occurring when I see Jesus (when the perfect or complete has come). Where the spirit of the Lord is, means everywhere I go. On occasions, we experience His outpouring (a bonus), God’s presence in this life. “From Glory to Glory" comes from 2 Cor 3:18. It describes the ongoing transformation of believers into the image of Christ by the Spirit of the Lord. It is our walk and our true destiny. Now and future! We see that true freedom is found in the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides us into complete freedom as He reminds us of our identity in Christ. John 16:13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. Today (present tense), Believers are transformed by beholding HIS GLORY.

Where is the Presence of God’s Spirit?

Do you seek and desire the presence of God’s Spirit in your life? Do you walk in His anointing, or do you rely on your knowledge or past experiences? The Bible makes clear that the presence of God is a central goal in God’s redemptive mission. All of God’s work ends with the Lord dwelling with and in man. And second, the presence of God is not only an objective, but also how the redemptive mission in our lives is fulfilled. God writes Himself into your life to bring salvation, transformation, and power. We should be like Moses when he said, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? (Exodus 33:15-16a). Or as in Acts 4:13, which says, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished, and they took note that these men had been in the presence of Jesus.” God’s Manifest Presence and Power Is Life!!” It is the engine, the power train for every Christian to live in freedom. Romans 8:14 highlights that “All whom the Spirit of God leads, are sons of God.” Reinforces the idea that the Spirit leads us in our identity, to guide believers and equip them for the calling of God. We must be free to fulfill this task with joy.

Ephesians 1:18-21 (NIV) I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Paul turned the entire prayer towards Jesus and the victory won in His resurrection. Paul expressed the triumph of Jesus over death in His victory: His mighty, wondrous working power. This noun is introduced with a word used in the New Testament only by Paul: huperballo, “exceeding greatness.” It’s a word Paul used to express that there is nothing that compares to the greatness and power of God demonstrated when He raised Jesus from the dead, seated Him at the right hand of authority (His ascension), and gave Jesus dominion over all powers, authorities, and dominions that will ever be known on earth. Ephesians 1:20 uses the phrase “heavenly places.” The heavenly places describe the realm of perfect righteousness in the presence of God, where sin is absent. This is where Christ currently reigns, viewing unfolding human history from a standpoint of perfect righteousness, holiness, and love.

All this power, which is beyond human comprehension, God has made available “toward us who believe” Ephesians 1:19. It is the triumph of Jesus’ resurrection; described in the words Paul piled up in the paragraphs above, that is focused on us and through us. This enables us to BE FREE from temptation, to BE FREE from fear, to BE FREE from any obstacle or trap of the enemy. The victory is not measured by our sense of human achievement or accolades; rather, the victory is measured by our obedience, which brings glory to God and testifies to His righteous triumph over sin and death. It simply relies on our belief in and surrender to Christ.

Sadly, many believers still secretly believe that God tolerates them. Thinking that the Holy Spirit is still searching their hearts or minds to discover a reason to reject or condemn them. Self-criticism, self-doubt, negative words, or bad self-images still permeate their emotions from time to time. They struggle with unbelief in the finished work that Christ died on the cross for them, simply because of God’s love for them. Rom 5:9 says Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! You were never saved into a relationship of fear; you were saved into a relationship of peace, comfort, and freedom. Freedom begins when you understand and accept the process and act of grace. The father did not save you reluctantly, He saved you joyfully! “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” Zephaniah 3:17

So, when fear whispers, when doubt tells you that God is disappointed in you, look at Romans 5. When anxiety tells you that Heaven is against you, look at the cross. When shame tells you to hide from the Father, remember that you have already been justified. The death and resurrection of Christ have settled it. You were not saved into a relationship of constant judgment; you were saved into a relationship of peace and freedom. Rom 5:9 shatters the image of an angry God waiting to push believers away. The cross proves both the seriousness of sin and the overwhelming love of God, simultaneously. When believers understand that they are fully loved, fully known, and fully accepted through Jesus, then obedience stops being a fearful striving and becomes a joyful pursuit, simply responding to love. God is building a victorious Church, a church that walks in freedom and the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. So today, let your soul breathe again. Allow yourself to live in the freedom that Jesus died to give you and know that He rejoices over you!

“Christ has set us Free!”