“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1 NKJ
“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36 NKJ
Every day people risk their lives to move to the United States from countries where they have lived for years in bondage! They are willing to do whatever it takes to escape, even if it means possibly losing their lives in the process. If you ask them why they are willing to do this; they would tell you that facing possible death in order to have the opportunity to be free, is better than living out a death sentence under the yoke of bondage in their country of origin. The ones who have succeeded in escaping would never willingly put themselves back under the yoke of bondage and in fact; they spend their entire lives fighting to escape deportation!
If you ask a soldier who fights in the American Armed Forces why they are willing to risk their lives for their country; they would tell you that facing possible death in order to ensure we continue to be a liberated country, is worth the risk of possibly losing their lives on the battlefield! They would tell you that the last thing they would ever do is throw up the white flag of surrender and be taken captive by enemy forces! They will do anything to ensure our freedom!
The reason both of these groups of people are willing to do what they do is because they know just how incredible it is to live a life of freedom! Any person who has tasted the freedom of a liberated life knows that living a liberated life is far better than living a life of bondage under hostile rule. IN Christ we have been made free and liberated from the life of bondage we were enslaved to before we said yes to Him! Even though this is true many Christians still live as if they are under the rule of a sadistic dictator. They have not grasped the enormity of what Christ did for them on the Cross and as a result they let the enemy deceive them into believing they are still enslaved to him and under his rule!
On the Cross Jesus died for our freedom! He laid down His life so that we could be liberated from the bondage of the ruler of this world! IN Christ we have been liberated and made alive in the freedom of His resurrected life! Jesus’ sacrifice was no small task but many people treat it that way! They do not embrace the extent of what that act of love did for us who believe! Ephesians 2:1-3 says, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”
To embrace this truth it is important to understand that the Greek word Christ means anointing. Merriam – Webster’s dictionary defines anoint as: “to apply oil to as a sacred rite especially for consecration, to choose by or as if by divine election; also: to designate as if by a ritual anointment.” In Isaiah 10:27b it says what the anointing oil does.” Isaiah said, “And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.” So when we said yes to Jesus Christ we were covered with God’s anointing IN Christ which is the very thing that destroys the yoke of bondage we were enslaved to. Christ IN us has made us alive IN Him and we are no longer under the yoke of bondage like the people who are slaves to sin and children of wrath because we were made alive IN Him on the day of our salvation!
But if we do not accept this truth we will continue to believe the deception of the devil and put ourselves under the yoke of bondage through condemnation or trying to keep the laws of the Old Covenant. Colossians 2:13-15 says, “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”
In order for us to embrace and live the fully liberated life IN Christ we have to accept what He did for us on the Cross! Unlike the people who try to cross the borders into the United States, we are not the ones who had to cross the border into our liberation. Christ did on the Cross! (Through grace we have been saved, through faith) And unlike the soldiers in the armed forces, who have to fight to keep us free; we don’t have to fight for our freedom! Christ did it in His resurrection! (John 10:10) Our only responsibility is to renew our minds to the truth of who we are IN Christ and who Christ is IN us! The battlefield for the Christian is in the mind and our responsibility to is fight the devil, using the Word of God, as Jesus did in the Desert of Temptation; and tell him to flee. When we do this our minds stay liberated and we are not deceived into taking back the yoke of bondage that make us slaves to the mindset of sin and bondage!
Prayer: Lord, I understand that the liberated mind is the mind that is free from condemnation and able to discern things in the Spirit! I know that the liberated mind is the mind that is able to seek first Your kingdom and righteousness with the understanding that all other things will be added! I know that the liberated mind is the mind that is able to fulfill Your purpose! And I understand that the liberated mind is the mind that can focus on Your ministry IN me and lead others to the saving knowledge of You. It is the desire of my heart to walk in the liberated mindset of knowing who I am IN You and who you are IN me and I believe by faith that You will grant me the desire of my heart! Amen
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