Freedom in Christ

When I was a child, I thought that becoming a Christian would prevent me from living my life to the fullest. My naive, child eyes perceived that only rules, limitations, and restrictions would come from living a life devoted to God. I had to go to church every week, read my Bible every day, and pray regularly. My thoughts didn’t even have free reign, because God could see every little disobedient thought that crossed my mind. At the time, I didn’t understand how I would be able to enjoy my life while living the Christian lifestyle. 

As much as I hate to admit it, my immature heart wanted to live a life of sin. I didn’t want to be bound by rules; I wanted to be free. But what I didn’t know, is that the life of sin I wanted to live would not give me the freedom I wanted. Instead, it would give me slavery. 

Contrary to what I believed, life to the fullest only comes through complete devotion to God. And because He loves us, it is His desire that we experience the vibrant and full life that can only be obtained through relationship with Him. He gives us the gift of reading His Word, the gift of prayer to Him, and the gift of community with other believers at church, all of which propel us toward a deeper faith, a deeper spiritual maturity, a deeper relationship with Him.

I used to believe that God was forcing us into submission to His commandments; actually, God places such high importance on our freedom that He doesn’t force us to abide by His law at all. Instead of designing us to be born into relationship with Him, He gives us the freedom to choose it for ourselves, even though He knew it meant that many people would choose to reject and betray Him to follow the path of sin. 

And the path to sin, is deceptive. Initially, it seems like living apart from God would give us more freedom, the ability to live exactly how we want. However, according to Jesus, “everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). In other words, those who have not been freed from their sins are living under the control of sin, an inescapable control that prevents us from living a life in relationship with God. Living a life of sin, therefore, prevents us from living our lives to the fullest. 

All of us were born into the slavery of sin, but our gracious God sent us His Son so that we could find freedom in Him. It is only because of Jesus’ sacrifice that we sinners can experience life to the fullest. Jesus Himself says in John 10:10 that He came so we “may have life and have it abundantly.” Through Jesus, God gives us the opportunity to be in relationship with Him because He wants us to live full, abundant lives. 

Disciplines—such as reading the Bible, praying, and attending church—are not meant to be burdensome; they are gifts God gives us to deepen our relationship with Him. However, it is our responsibility to be intentional and diligent in practicing these disciplines if we want to experience the fullness of life that only comes through Christ.