Redeemed: Living Free

Ok, friends-it's about to get real this week!  We've been studying about the past:  about God's redemption plan through Christ and about the children of Israel's redemption story.  Now this week - we're going to look at the here and now.  We're going to see what all this means for us today.  Are we living the abundant, free life God has for us?

As I started preparing for this post and this upcoming week,  I knew there were are some sins that are holding me back from living out the life God has for me.  There are some things that hinder me from being completely and totally free.  So because I am a list maker and a planner, I started creating and searching for a "form" of how I was going to "do better" this upcoming week.  Maybe a checklist I could check off?  Well...nothing was really coming together.

Then as I started actually writing this blog post - in a complete different direction - it hit me.  I was trying to figure out a way I could overcome these sins when in fact - Christ already has! 

Freedom comes only through Christ.  It can't come through a case of "do betters".  It can't come through a check off list.  It comes through knowing and surrendering to Him.  My lists are no match for Satan but my God is!

Paul tells the churches of Galatia:

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled with the yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1

Our freedom has been won; that's in the past.  All we have to do today is "stand fast" in it.  We've been released from the bonds of sin - so don't get tangled back up in it!  Sin is a price far more than we want to pay.  It's is a heavy load to carry.  It'll weigh us down and cause us to live far below the life God has planned for us. 

So, if you find yourself worn out from trying to overcome sin on your own, just give it to Him.  He's got this guys.  Whatever it is - big, little or in between - He's already conquered it.  We just need to quit trying on our own, declare the victory through Him, and rest.  

Don't believe me?  Take His word for it:

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30 

Rest...easy yoke...light burden - now that's living free!  How do we get there?  By coming to Him, by resting in Him.  That's  our part of the redemption story.  

I started out dreading this week.  I thought it was going to be a lot of work for me.  However, I was going about it all wrong.  It's time to stop fighting a fight that's already been won.  Now, I'm looking forward to a week of seeking His truth, repenting and then resting in Him.