The meaning of freedom for all – Part 2

Freedom from sin for every individual comes only from Jesus Christ, through personal faith in His atoning sacrifice at the Cross of Calvary.

It is to believe that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice, and paid with His blood the penalty for sin of all men.

This is the only offering, not your effort or initiative that can appease God on behalf of all men ever born on earth.

For then, Jesus grants the person the grace and strength to shun evil practices and indulgences, and to follow His exemplary life.

Those who believed once, but later recanted, and returned to the corruption from which they were once delivered, make their renewed bondage much worse, like the Israelites who failed to maintain their freedom after returning from Egypt to the Promised Land.

As a result, those Israelites in their backslidden state soon went into fresh captivity in Assyria and Babylon, and were scattered all over the world.

Jesus affirms that, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin”, but “If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”.

No sinner or backslider can deliver himself from bondage to sin. Every sinner is a lawful captive of the devil. Deliverance from sin comes from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Moses, the man used by God to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity, emphasised this truth, when he called the children of Israel to “Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place…”

Set free from sin, the believer needs to constantly remember that the Lord’s presence is with him. He must maintain his faith in God, honour and reverence Him and His word as sacred.

After the Lord has delivered and prospered the believer, such a person must not forget God as the Source of his freedom, lest his heart be lifted up with pride.

And anyone who comes to make the believer forget his Redeemer and His word, so as to turn him away from the Lord must be resisted and avoided.

“Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.”

Exalting the Lord as Master, King, Redeemer and Liberator makes freedom a permanent experience.

The Lord will set a person free, if He sees that the benefitting believer will appreciate and glorify Him for it and make Him the most important and unrivaled Personality in his life.

The believer then must not allow any deceiver or detractor to compete with the Lord in his heart. He must be faithful and loyal to Him forever.

The believer’s loyalty is not first to his spouse, children, siblings, parents or any religious leader, but to the Lord. He must forget those who seek to compete with God in his life.

He must “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage”.

Personal decision is crucial to receiving God’s deliverance from sin, sickness and satanic oppression. The Lord has not forgotten or left anyone to perish in bondage.

It is certain that “the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve”.

But this happens when the sinner/backslider decides to part with sin, repents of his past life of sin and receives Christ as His Saviour and Lord.

He must also fulfil the condition of daily righteous living and obedience to the Lord.

Liberation, redemption or freedom is promised to everyone. But it is granted to those who call upon the Lord.

“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered”.

When God delivers from sin, which Satan uses to bind people, freedom from sickness and satanic oppression becomes easy.

Further Reading (King James Version): Exodus 3:7-10; Deuteronomy 18:15,18,19; Exodus 13:3; Deuteronomy 8:7-14; 13:1-10; Galatians 5:1; Ezra 9:9; Isaiah 14:3,5; Job 36:8-11; Joel 2:32.