The Daily Word

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How would you define freedom? We all have a vision of what freedom means but there are so many types and examples of freedom that it difficult to produce a single definition. When I was at school, we defined school holidays as freedom, because we had no lessons and could in many ways please ourselves. But we weren’t really free from any restriction. We still had parents to obey and even the laws of the land, if we want to put it into a higher context.

Even if we defined freedom as the ‘absence of restrictions’, that is just another word for chaos because we all need parameters by which to live our lives. The nearest I can come is to a definition is to have an unrestricted ability or right to choose. But even that is lacking in full content.

On the other hand, being set free is perhaps easier to define, that is the removal of some restriction or barrier. So when we come to the words of Jesus, “If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed”, what does that mean? Well, Jesus was not referring to physical or even emotional freedom but rather spiritual freedom. And specifically, freedom from the punishment and even the power of sin. Because the greatest loss of freedom came when sin entered the world and mankind became its prisoner because sin binds us to a life of spiritual captivity. Even the Apostle Paul knew the great power of sin and bemoans in Romans 7 all the pain and torment that sin laid on him and indeed on each one of us. But when Jesus took the punishment for sin and we came to Him in faith and received His forgiveness, then He made us free from its punishment and that freedom can never be recalled. Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift!

Article written by Brian Preston, Elder @SFGH Church 

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