Jesus Promises Freedom
What do you need to be set free from?
Verse of the Day
‘So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.’
Today’s Devotional
I am a fan of shows set during the times of earthly kings and queens and royal courts. I’m not sure why I like them, but I do. As I watch these shows, I notice that most people have to follow certain protocols as they come into the presence of the king or queen. They must come only when their presence is requested, use the proper greeting, the proper bow or curtsy, and only speak when spoken to. And then there is the king’s brother. He can come and go as he pleases. He doesn’t follow any of the proper protocols. He barges into the king’s private quarters and speaks his mind freely. Why does he get away with this? Because he is the king’s brother. His relationship to the sovereign grants him special access and special permission. And the bond between the king and his brother is highly valued by the king, because he can trust that his brother is honoring their relationship over the king’s position.
I tell you that story because Jesus has taken each and every one of us and granted us special access and special permission to the King. While we were once lowly slaves, now we are members of the Family.
Here’s the problem: most of us spend our lives not believing that our status with God has been changed.
Jesus has offered us freedom, which we looked at Monday. He promises freedom from the bondage of sin. Freedom from the eternal consequences of sin. Freedom from being bound by the law. Freedom to speak directly to the Father. Freedom to live each day with the power of the Holy Spirit. The freedom that comes from being a beloved son or daughter of the King. Jesus has given us special access to the Father.
If we look again at John 8:31-32, we see another reference to freedom that we already studied. ‘Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”’ (John 8:31-32)
We are set free by truth. But we only access that truth by being faithful and obedient to the teachings of Jesus. Those teachings are just as counter-cultural today as they were when Jesus spoke them. We are called to be different. We are called to act differently. We are called to forgive instead of seeking vengeance (or resentment, or anger). We are called to love the unlovely and unlovable, which includes ourselves. We are called to unity, even when we disagree. We are called to be people who are known by our love. As we follow these teachings of Jesus, we gain access to the truth of our sonship and daughtership in God. And that truth, that we belong to God, will indeed set us free.
My dog has a little crate that he has to go in when there are workers in the house. Because he does not love strangers. Many times, when I have not been able to find him, I go look in his crate and he’s curled up in there…fast asleep. He can sleep anywhere in the house, and many times he chooses to go cuddle up in his “jail”. Look at the picture today. That’s my little guy, Harley. For the picture, he was put in “jail” simply so I could take the picture. But other times, that “jail” is his chosen spot for napping.
How often do we do the exact same thing? We choose to stay in bondage because it’s what we are familiar with.
When Jesus is offering us freedom, I think He is saying to us, “My dear sister, you don’t have to stay in your “jail”. I’ve done all that is required for you to have freedom. I’ve destroyed the lock, I’ve opened the door. But now it’s your choice. You can stay in bondage, because it’s what you know and where you are least uncomfortable. Or you can trust Me. I promise that it’s better out here. But you have to step out.”
Stepping out in faith is taking Jesus at His word. It is choosing His ways, that He teaches in the Bible, over our natural human desires, tendencies, and emotions. We must obey in these ways in order to grab onto the freedom He has promised us. And as we step out of bondage into freedom, we will give others the hope that freedom is available to them as well.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
What do you need to be set free from?
Where and how have you chosen to stay captive? (This could be as simple as fear, doubt, worry, control, discontent…)
What would a life of freedom in Jesus look like for you?
How can you remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus today?