Only Jesus Makes You Truly Free
Some people assume that God tries to take our freedom and restrict our joy. But they’ve bought the lies of the devil and they could not be further from the truth. Because God made us free. But we have been abusing the freedom by making bad choices from the start. Like Philip Yancey has said “God’s terrible insistence on human freedom is so absolute that he granted us the power to live as though He did not exist, to spit in His face, to crucify Him.“
We can choose to live without God. But without Jesus we are at the dead end of sins. We try to deny this truth and we try to deny that we are sinners. But we are missing God. And with that we are missing everything real, true, and free.
Jesus said, “You’re tied down to the mundane; I’m in touch with what is beyond your horizons. You live in terms of what you see and touch. I’m living on other terms. I told you that you were missing God in all this. You’re at a dead end. If you won’t believe I am who I say I am, you’re at the dead end of sins. You’re missing God in your lives.” (John 8:23-24, MSG)
Some people think that if they only had money/education/free country/sponsors/work/you-name-it, their lives would be secure. But they’re just holding on to those things as idols. And they’re missing God in their lives. Nothing but Jesus can bring us security.
“If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.”
Surprised, they said, “But we’re descendants of Abraham. We’ve never been slaves to anyone. How can you say, ‘The truth will free you’?”
Jesus said, “I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can’t come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through. (John 8:31-36, MSG, emphasis added)
Some people think that if they live in a free country where they can do whatever they want they are free. But they do not see the invisible web of bondage. They insist that they are not slaves of Hollywood or Madison Avenue. Or public opinion or money or security. But they are. We all are without Christ. A dead-end life is all we can expect without grace. But God offers us so much more.
It’s our choice: Freedom in Christ or bondage to sin. But only through the cross of Christ we find what we’ve always been looking for: God and everything real, true, and free.
Gracious God,
Thank you for giving us freedom to choose.
We choose you.
You are everything we are yearning for.
Thank you for freeing us from bondage to sin.
You have everything we are looking for.
Be praised forever and ever!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Q4U: What is true freedom?
Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you live free in Jesus!
Giving thanks today for
#511 freedom in Christ
#512 freedom from the invisible slavery
#513 freedom to love and serve God
#514 freedom from dead-end lives
#515 freedom to life and more life in Jesus
#516 living in grace and freedom
#517 loving because of grace
#518 security in God
#519 everything real, true, and free
#520 God who loves us to give us freedom to choose
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Image courtesy of M Jones. Linking up today with Linking up today with What’s on Your Heart Tuesdays , Wordfilled Wednesday & God-Bumps & God-Incidences.
8 thoughts on “Only Jesus Makes You Truly Free”
I can only add one thing to your message …. AMEN!
Thank you kindly. God bless you!
Amen, thank God for our freedom! Let it ring…
Hope you have a blessed 4th!
Thanks so much, Susan! Abundant blessings to you and yours! Happy Fourth!
You and I think SO MUCH ALIKE!! Hope we can somehow meet. I’d love it. [Well, if nothing else, it will be heaven. ;-).]
Wouldn’t that be something! I would love to meet you, Joanne! 🙂 And maybe we will. In God’s time. In God’s way. Blessings to you, soul sis!
That Yancey quote is quite powerful. Thank you for your meaningful words in this place, Mari-Anna.
Thank you, Jennifer, for your kindness! May God bless you according to your needs!