[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 15/August/2021]
We have been hearing a lot recently about freedom, especially the freedom from lock-down restrictions, so I thought it would be a good time to look at the freedom we have in Christ.
Jesus said in John 8 v 34, 36 “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin… If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Nearly half a century ago I heard a sermon on this subject, in which the preacher described 3 aspects of freedom from sin:
– Freedom from punishment for sin, which we already have through the work of Jesus on the cross
– Freedom from the power of sin, an ongoing process as the Holy Spirit works in our lives
– Freedom from the presence of sin, which we will enjoy in heaven
(Having 3 points starting with the same letter is certainly an aid to memory!)
Over the past 18 months we have seen Covid 19 destroy lives and drive families apart, just as sin does. The government has tried hard to limit the damage by imposing all kinds of rules and regulations, just as God gave the Jews the law to limit the damage done by sin. However, these rules and regulations had no power to help us fight the disease once it had infected us. Now we have a vaccine working inside us to fight the virus, so the rules can be relaxed. In a similar way, the Holy Spirit works within us to fight the virus of sin and to set us free from both our sinful nature and from burden-some rules and regulations.
Romans 8 v 1-2 says: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”
Let us echo the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 9 v 15: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
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Contributed by Helen Ruffhead; © the Author
