Experiencing Freedom in Jesus – Lean into Christian Liberty
This series considers how Christians can enjoy the freedom of the Christian life that comes through Jesus Christ. This first lesson looks at how to experience freedom in Jesus by leaning into Christian liberty and what Christian liberty means for the believer.
Experiencing Freedom in Jesus – Lean into Christian Liberty
Salvation through Jesus Christ frees us to be who we were originally created to be.
In fact, Jesus’s entire purpose was and is “to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Lk. 4:18).
However, Christian liberty isn’t just any kind of freedom; it’s being “free indeed” (Jn. 8:36); that is being surely, really, and certainly free. It’s true freedom!
Additionally, it’s freedom from the tyranny of sin, guilt, and shame.
“Christian liberty is not freedom to do what one wants, but the freedom to serve God and be who he wants you to be.”
Jesus also emphasized that Christian liberty has to do with man’s relationship to God. Meaning, it’s not freedom to do what one wants, but the freedom to serve God and be who he wants you to be – a servant of righteousness (Rom. 6:18).
Because we have been called to liberty (Gal. 5:13), we are able to serve God as best we know how through the enabling and empowering of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17). In fact, true liberty does not exist apart from the Spirit of the Lord.
Importantly, Christian liberty isn’t freedom to sin, but freedom to choose to live in truly good ways that help us grow to be more like Christ.
Only Christians can choose to be truly good. That’s because sin separates the lost from God (Is. 59:2).
Sure, non-believers can do good things, however such actions only appear good, for even when we want to do good we can’t cleanse ourselves from our sin (Prov. 20:9) or do things out of a pure heart on our own.
However, God enables Christians to do truly good things by giving them the desire and ability to do what pleases him (Phil. 2:13).
Truly good works are initiated by a desire to please God, and are the result of God working in us to do his good pleasure and bear spiritual fruit (Rom. 7:4-6, Jn. 15:4-5).
Put another way, without God we can do nothing that is truly good (Jn. 15:5), but with him we can do all things heartily as unto the Lord (Col. 3:23) and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil. 4:13).
But don’t Christians still sin? Yes we do, that’s why again the distinction must be made that God is the one who enables us to bear spiritual fruit, do good and be free.
“God enables Christians to do truly good things by giving them the desire and ability to do what pleases him.”
In fact, Christian liberty is rooted in freedom from sin’s captivity. As A. Greg Troxel, in his book With All Your Heart: Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will Toward Christ states, “there was a time when we were ‘not able not to sin,’ but now, in this state of grace, we are ‘able not to sin’” (pg. 141).
Moreover, Jesus promises believers that sin will no longer have dominion over them (Rom. 6:14) thanks to God’s wonderful grace!
While we will never be sinless until heaven, believers are blameless (Col. 1:22, 1 Thess. 5:23) and free from sin’s mastery. Another way to think of it is that as a Christian, you are at the same time justified and a sinner, and you are under no condemnation if you have believed in Jesus (Rom. 8:1) because Jesus died for all of your sins on the cross.
So then, may you walk after the Spirit, in newness of life, a captive set free, to do your heavenly Father’s good pleasure according to the liberating freedom of Christian liberty.
J.R. Waller, MBA is a Christian lay-teacher, author, and Founder of Every Reason to Believe. He holds an MBA from Rollins College, B.S. in Psychology from The University of Central Florida, Certificate in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, and Bible Knowledge Certificate from The Master’s Seminary Institute for Church Leadership. He is also a two-time Fellow (UCF, The James Madison Institute).
Image Credit: The Landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, 1620 (1869) by Engraver Joseph Andrews (America) after Peter Frederick Rothermel (American). Printer William M. Miller (American). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 49.116.69.
Thank you for reading this article about Christian Liberty!