To or From
Little words with tremendous implications. Opposite directional words that expose our hearts, belie our attitudes and condemn or confirm us. Jesus said to the people gathered around, “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (Jn. 8:36). The question we should be asking is, “Free from what?”
Many people who have been exposed to the good news of Jesus and have made an intellectual decision to “be a Christian,” seem to think it is freedom to continue their sinful ways, that God will overlook their sin because they’ve “gotten their ticket punched.” But consider our title today. Scripture is very clear that we who have embraced Jesus’ death and resurrection and received new life in Him are free from our sin and guilt: freedom from sin, NOT freedom to sin.
Paul, in Romans 5:20 – 6:2 spells it out plainly: “…where sin increased grace abounded all the more…Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”
As we see “the day”
drawing near (Heb. 10:25), our focus should be on staying awake and alert to our readiness to meet Jesus and to His command to “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect” (I Pet.3:15). In other words, live your life in such a way as to invite people to ask why you’re different, and then tell them about how Jesus loves them and they can have the same peace you have, knowing where you’ll spend eternity.
Let’s go back to our directional words for today. Life is a continuum from the day we’re born to the day we die. We can generally tell by looking at people, where they are on that continuum. But we’re also on a spiritual continuum and our location is not as important as our direction. Are we heading to or from the God who created the universe and gave us life? Is our sin (for the most part) in our rearview mirror or beckoning us to the horizon in front of us? Time on earth is getting shorter every day and we don’t know when God will call us out of the game.
In Matthew,
Jesus was talking to His disciples about when He would return to gather His church (all believers) and He warned them, “For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will” (Matt. 24:44). Why would He say that? First of all, it’s a good principle for life in general. We need to be ready for a lot of things: ready for work or school, ready for traffic mishaps, ready for moving day, etc. But more importantly, Jesus knew that man is prone to go down rabbit trails and forget the time. In the spiritual world, since we can’t visibly see into it, it’s truly a faith-walk that needs encouragement, reminders, motivation to stay the course, and more.
While you consider whether you’re a to or a from pilgrim today, remember that when we gave control of our lives to Jesus, at that moment, we became new creatures with the Holy Spirit living in us and the power to live a victorious life that is pleasing to God. No longer are we bound by sinful habits that seem to have a chokehold on us. WE ARE FREE in Christ.
If you don’t feel free,
If you’re still in bondage to some particular sin, go to God in prayer and confess it. You may also have to find an accountability partner you can share your journey with and mutually encourage each other. Perhaps memorizing this verse will help: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away behold, new things have come” (II Cor. 5:17). God doesn’t lie. So if you’re in Christ, you’re a new creature, free from sin and its consequences. Free to follow Jesus.
Hope this has been an encouragement to stay the course until we see Jesus. It could be any day now.