“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Gal 5:1)
If you ask my golden retriever puppy her opinion on the subject, the very best part of her daily walk happens when I release the lock on her retractable leash! She capers about, chasing leaves, tossing pebbles, investigating noises. But no matter how interesting the things she can reach are, what she really desires to inspect is always JUST beyond the confines of her 20 foot leash!
While out on our run one day, I decided to grant my pup her heart’s desire: I let her off the leash. Was I ever in for a big surprise! Instead of chasing the squirrels and digging in the field as I had thought she would do, she cowered under my feet! She was afraid of her newfound liberty!
This went on for several minutes, and nothing I could do would make her budge. Until she saw the end of her leash dangling from my hand, that is! She grabbed it and hung on. Tight! The lock was released, and she proceeded to pull it to its maximum length. Then, instead of letting go, she continued to try to push beyond her now self-imposed leash limit!
I watched her for a moment, amazed that she would choose to be confined to her leash when she could be free. Then I realized how much like many Christians she was behaving. When we are born-again, we become a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17—“if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation”). Christ comes to live in our hearts (Col 1:27—“. . . The glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”), and we are set free (Gal 5:1—“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”)! We are free of addiction, free of worry, free of our sinful lives, free of the restrictions imposed by religion. But this freedom is often more than we can fathom, and so often, just like my pup, we return to the very things that have been our captors.
My friends, “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36! You are no longer SLAVES to your old life! When you are tempted to fall back, all you have to do is let go of the leash! Believe in your new freedom! Claim it as your own, and thank Jesus that you have already been liberated from the bonds of the devil!
“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36)!
May God bless you as live your freedom in Christ!
Love in Christ,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Moderator, The Nugget, Scriptural Nuggets ( www.scripturalnuggets.org ), Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org