Free in Christ

The Gospel means good news. How many of us really live our lives believing that we are truly free from our sins? Or do you struggle from day to day, living in doubt and wonder if the Lord could ever really forgive you for your sins? Jesus said: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30.Do you in reality live your life as if you believe the Savior? Have you shed your burden and found rest for your soul? If your answer is I am not sure or I find no peace, you need to study and pray to find that answer. The Lord tells us we can be certain about our eternal life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:13. There is no good reason to remain in doubt any longer. Our Father in Heaven always meant for you to find that peace. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7. GOD loves us and wants all of to find forgiveness through the knowledge of His Son. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.1 Timothy 2:3-4.

First, we must understand it is GOD's mercy that will cleanse us of our sins. Not one of us is deserving of forgiveness on our own merit.As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one." Romans 3:10-12.

Some Christians today believe they will find forgiveness by working harder in His kingdom, when in reality they received forgiveness when they were baptized into Christ. GOD's grace is a 'free gift' based on GOD's mercy and our trust in his promise to cleanse us with the "blood" of his Son Jesus. Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,Romans 3:22-25. It is simply our belief that, GOD forgave us because we trusted His Word enough to choose to become a Christian.

We are forgiven through our belief in Christ's sacrifice for us. Our human nature which is constantly tempted by the evil that surrounds us and our weak attempts at performing righteous acts can never measure up to GOD's standards. But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6.Instead He wants us to recognize our true state of helplessness and rely on Him alone. "But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word. Isaiah 66:2. Only GOD is capable of saving us, and His plan was to save us by sacrificing Jesus on the cross. We only need to remain humble in that recognition of our desperate need for His forgiveness. This forgiveness He offers 'freely' to the humble in heart. Jesus gave this example of forgiveness in Luke 18:10-14;"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men-- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Christians only needs to remain humble in their own eyes and GOD will supply His righteousness through the blood of His Son.

No amount of works done by anyone will gain a person's entrance into heaven. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:4-9. In truth, God discounts works altogether in regards to our forgiveness. For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin." Romans 4:3-8. It is entirely God's mercy and our continued trust in his promise that leads us to a state that is free from sin. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, Titus 3:4-6.

Does freedom in Christ mean I do not have to obey God? We must understand it is our GOD given faith that produces our obedience. GOD expects us to attempt to walk as Jesus walked. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 1 John 2:4-6.We must obey GOD from the heart but GOD does not expect us to walk perfectly. Jesus took that perfect walk for us as he walked to Calvary. We must however continue to try to walk as Christ did. Romans 7:18-8:2; For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God-- through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Romans 8:1-2. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Then do not return to the slavery of the fear of death. Trust Him and His wonderful sacrifice. He never meant for you to carry that cross. It was His alone to carry. As long as you continue to walk in the footsteps of His Word and acknowledge your continued need for His forgiveness, you can count on His sacrifice. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:7-10

Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you. Romans 16:16

All references are from the New King James Bible. ©1982.

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