Fall 2006
Freedom in Christ
Tara Wentworth

The cry for freedom and liberty comes in many ways, from all walks of life, from every culture, in every age. From slavery to being enslaved by drugs or alcohol, the cry has been “I want to be free.”

Freedom is more than just being exempt from an obligation or liability. It is even more than being delivered out of a situation or set of circumstances. The world would have us to believe it is a total lack of any kind of restraint.

The Word of God speaks of two kingdoms – the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of darkness, both with sets of laws that affect our lives. When we choose to yield to “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus,” we will be freed from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2) The dichotomy is that to be truly free, you must become a slave.

“And having been set free from sin, you become slaves of righteousness.” Romans 6:18

Slavery was a part of both Old and New Testament culture, so quite a bit is written concerning literal slavery as well as becoming a spiritual slave or bondservant. In Exodus 21, when a slave loved his master, he could actually choose to become a lifetime bond-slave, rather than take his freedom. His ear was pierced and all knew what choice he had made.

Paul exhorted slaves to obey their masters because they were bond-servants of Christ (Ephesians 6:5-7). He exhorted those living in Corinth not to be concerned about whether they were slaves or free because:

“He who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman and likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave.” I Corinthians 7:20-22

The Greek word for liberty comes from a word used in the Greek culture that had to do with a master paying a price to buy a slave’s freedom in the name of a god. He no longer belonged to a master but to a god, so he could never be enslaved again. What insight Paul uses as he helps us to realize that “He whom the Son has set free, is free indeed.”

We are exhorted to “stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again in a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). Another translation says, “It was for freedom that Christ has made us free.” This emphasizes the completeness of what Jesus has done for us.

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If you continue in My word, then are you My disciples indeed; And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32

How do we become free? The word “know” means experiential knowledge. When we personally know and believe the truth (I Timothy 4:3), we will walk in freedom.

“But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:25

True freedom comes from knowing the Word of God (My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge) and realizing who we are in Christ.