There is a very famous passage many people reference. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:35, ESV).” There are many things that people attribute to this passage. “We’re free indeed, so now we can live however we want, Yippee!” However, Jesus points out that what he is talking about is our sins. When we find something bad we like, we find ways time and time again to go back to it. But, what Jesus says here is that if He sets us free, we are free indeed! Those sins are dead and should be left behind. We are not to turn back and look at it, but keep moving forward, living in the grace and mercy of God.
But, we cannot forget how God set us free from our sins. He loved us so much, that instead of rightfully declaring us as guilty, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us, taking upon Himself our sins upon His shoulders. So now, you stand blameless and free. Once you repent of your sins and place your faith in Christ alone, you stand absolutely free! But now what? Your debt has been paid and you’re sitting there, what do we do? Well, it’s simple really: we go to work, we go to battle. We will never be perfect, and dropping these sins within our lives will take reflection, accountability, and much prayer. So, might I suggest starting to read your Bible & praying through each verse you read. In this, we find that God loves us so much that, in setting us free, He also adopts us into His wondrous family. We are no longer alone, and we certainly don’t have to do this battle alone. We have a family we can go to, especially when we don’t know what to do.
When I became a Christian and wanted to serve in a local church, I was honestly scared. A lot of us can be when we do things new. But that’s where our family is. He has set all of us free to then go out and serve, love, and share this good news of freedom with as many people as possible. However, that sounds scary! Yes, but that doesn’t mean we quit. It means we cling to the person who set us free, Jesus. We cling to Him, and we do it scared. May you find encouragement in that.
