Facebook PagePastor’s Newsletter Article
This is the latest of the articles Pastor Richert writes for the monthly church newsletter.
Freedom FROM and TO
When we think of freedom, it can either mean freedom FROM things that restrict, threaten, control or oppose us or freedom TO do things that benefit, encourage, reward or strengthen us. In our country the Bill of Rights gives us freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, cruel and unusual punishment, and self-incrimination. The Bill of Rights also gives us freedom to practice religion, speak, assemble, and bear arms.
In our spiritual lives we also experience freedom FROM things. Most importantly, we have been given freedom from sin and death. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8:2). Before we placed our faith in Christ, we were slaves to sin. We sinned in our thoughts, actions, motives, attitudes and speech because it was our nature to sin. We sinned because we were sinners. As sinners we faced the consequence of sin — death. We were destined for an eternity separated from God.
But when we became Christians, we were freed from slavery to sin and freed TO live righteous lives. We now have the Spirit of life indwelling us to enable us to choose to do what God’s Word instructs us to do rather than what the world entices us to do. Galatians 5:16 encourages us to “walk by the Spirit, and [we] will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” Instead of suffering the consequences of sinful choices, we can now enjoy the blessings of godly choices. The ultimate blessing of the freedom we have in Christ is to enjoy eternal life in the presence of God.
Let’s enjoy our freedom FROM sin and our freedom TO live godly lives.
