“The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:2
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1
Well, we survived the snowstorm of early 2021. Some better than others, because some lost both power and water for days. It was an uncomfortable and unpleasant week for some of us, while others made the most out of the week. Did you feel stuck? I think we all did in some form or another. Today was my first day to get out of the house and it felt like freedom. How can we relate, as believers, about how we were once stuck in sin and are now free because of Jesus' death on the Cross?
"Almost 2,000 years ago, the Lord Jesus cried out on the cross, “It is finished,” proclaiming the believer’s “declaration of independence.” All of humanity was under the tyranny of sin and death. But Christ, the sinless One, took our place on Calvary and died for our sins. Having satisfied God’s righteous demands, He now sets free for eternity all who trust in Him." [odb.org]
“The greatest freedom we can experience is the forgiveness of our sins, liberation from the strongholds that have held us captive, and the restoration of our relationship with our Maker and His creation. With freedom comes responsibility. Freedom in Christ does not absolve us of responsibility and accountability. An important aspect of Christian freedom is our responsibility not to return to living under the Law." [intouch.org]
"In his message titled “You Will Know the Truth and the Truth Will Set You Free,” John Piper explained true freedom this way:
“If you don’t have the desire to do a thing, you are not fully free to do it … And if you have the desire to do something but no ability to do it, you are not free to do it. And if you have the desire and the ability to do something, but no opportunity to do it, you are not free to do it. And if you have the desire to do something, and the ability to do it, and the opportunity to do it, but it destroys you in the end, you are not fully free—not free indeed.”
As for myself, I am stuck for now, yet fully free in Christ. I am physically stuck in so many ways, good and bad. I'm stuck where I live, but God has me right where He wants me and I now know it's a blessing. I'm stuck with a purposeful van, but was blessed with 2 sportcars back in my youth. I'm stuck with minimal strength, but still have enough power in my left arm to drive my scooter and click out this blog on my computer. I'm sometimes stuck in my head with undermining thoughts, but I have God's word to pull me out of those with His encouragement. I look forward more and more each day to the freedom I will have in eternity and I'll never be stuck in any way ever again. ;-]