Day 272: Chains of Freedom

We as humans have a bad habit of holding on to toxic things. We hold on to the very thing that’s killings us as if it’s going to save us. We sometimes find it very hard to choose salvation. We sometimes choose to be stuck in our chains even when we have to key to release ourselves. It’s like we’re running from what is freely given to us but we run towards the things that will cost us our life. Why is that?

Today I want to talk about this human condition. Let’s talk about it.

Ephesians 2:8-9

“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.”

Salvation is a gift from God, freely given to us. We just have to choose to accept it. We have to choose to accept Christ into our lives. This is often the hardest decision to make for us as human beings. It’s a huge life changing decision, but our lives will change for the better. However we sometimes find that committing to Christ is extremely hard. It requires us to live for someone and something other than ourselves. The thing about salvation and gifts is that we choose whether or not we want to accept it. Even though it’s free, we still think there’s a catch or there’s some sort of cost. No, salvation is free, Christ paid it all on the cross. Somehow, even with that knowledge we still seem to be on the fence about accepting God’s love and salvation. A lot of that skepticism has to do with Ephesians 4:22-24,

...throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.  Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Wait a minute! Hold the front door! You’re telling me that once I give my life to Christ or accept His gift of salvation, I have to change? That’s exactly what I’m saying. Surely we did not think that we could still go on living in sin, when Christ died so we wouldn’t have to...  Here’s the thing, change is scary. Stepping out our comfort zone, no matter how toxic it is, is scary. We seem to have gotten too comfortable in our life of sin. So when we finally come to Christ, letting go of it is hard. Because sin brings pleasure, and a false sense of freedom. However when we come to the understanding of who God is we see how toxic that lifestyle is for us. The sad part is, sometimes we just decide to live with the fumes because letting go is too hard. Why do we stay in the same situation we are in even though it’s killing us?   

Romans 7:15-17

I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.  But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

I have heard so many people say, “when you know better, you do better.”. While I agree with that 100%, I also agree with the fact that knowledge doesn’t change who we are. It changes what we know. We can know everything there is to know about God but if we decide that we aren’t going to change, that knowledge can only go so far. We can talk about much faith we have but if at the end of the day we have not laid our sins at the cross and let them go, does it really matter how much we know? Knowledge isn’t going to get us through those pearly white gates. Salvations will, a life lived in Christ will. It’s hard to let things go, sometimes sin is living in us and we don’t even know it, or we choose to ignore it. We don’t see it until we do the very thing we promised we weren't going to do. The problem with that is, we are trying to rid ourselves of our sin. That’s a paradox in itself, the sinner cannot free themself from sin. Which is why we need Jesus a perfect man, 2 Corinthians 5:21 says,

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

The more we try to do it ourselves the more we will fall deeper into it. When sin lives in us, we act based on what it is our hearts, no matter how much we try to suppress it. Suppressing sin and actually being freed and delivered from sin are two completely different things.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

All this to say, is we are sometimes constantly running from that which is free in order to run towards something that will cost us everything, even our life. Why walk in chains when we are free. We have to stop running back to the chains of bondage when life gets to hard for us. What I’m saying is, our chains are comfortable, and sometimes we find ourselves sadly running back to them. For some odd reason we view sin as freedom. We don’t commit ourselves to Christ because we want to be free and do what we want. Salvation is freedom, there is more freedom in salvation than anything. Sin gives us a false idea of freedom, it seems free until we have to give up our soul. Living in sin can only take us so far. It will give us fun and pleasure but at the end of the day it will have consumed our life, Leaving us empty and constantly wanting more. Sin will never fulfill us in the way that christ can. Salvation and eternity is free, don’t be so afraid of change that you die never knowing the freedom you could have had in Christ.

Reflection

1. Are you afraid of change?
2. Have you found yourself running back to your old like when things got too hard?
3. What’s stopping you from submitting your life fully to Christ?

Prayer Time

Allow your answer to the above questions guide your prayer today, and continue to respond in whatever way you feel led. Talk to God about what we discussed today, whatever is on your heart. Whatever is tugging on your spirit respond to it with prayer. Be honest with Him.

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening! Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for day 273!