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For he who has died has been freed from sin.
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin,
but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:7, 11)
Note: Reckon means to believe with all your heart
what God says about you.
Stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free.
(Galatians 5:1)
Tell a Christian he needs to stop doing a particular besetting sin, and you won't be telling him anything he doesn't already know. He will only be set up again for ultimate failure.
However, pour your life into this Christian as you share the truth of his foundational freedom in Christ, and then witness glimmers of hope in his eyes. Walk along side him as long as it takes to encourage him as the Lord continues to reveal the glory of his freedom. He may stumble from time to time, but stay with him as he learns to walk in his new-found freedom.
THE MIRACLE OF FREEDOM
Christ died for us for the forgiveness from the penalty of sins. We died with Christ for freedom from the power of sin.
The miracle is we have already been freed from power of sin! Note the past tense in the above verses. We can still be tempted by sin as our minds become a battleground for truth. However, the foundational truth is that Christ has already set us free! We no longer have to strive for victory...we are free to live from victory!
Our feelings may seem to tell us otherwise. Our inability to consistently walk free may seem to tell us otherwise. However, God calls each of us to walk by faith in Christ and His finished work, not by faith in our feelings nor by faith in our failures.
THE MEANING OF VICTORY
The times when we do experience victory over a besetting sin do not define victory...they affirm victory. Victory is defined by what Christ has done through the cross and resurrection, not by what we do. Victory is a gift to us from Christ.
Also, the times when we fail to overcome a besetting sin do not diminish His victory...they attest of God's grace and re-affirm Christ's victory. Victory is walking in relationship with the Victor. He even uses our failures to demonstrate His victory as His victorious, nail-pierced hands lift us back up.
CLOSING
Is Jesus free? Yes! For He is risen from the dead.
Have you been united with Christ? If you are like me, you may not understand how God unites us to Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:1-10). However, by faith in God's Word, not faith in our ability to understand, you can believe this to be true with all your heart.
If Christ is free, and you have been united with Christ, are you free? The question is not do you feel free nor is the question are you experiencing freedom. The question is, are you free?
Reckon and stand fast in "yes" to this final question and you'll grow in experiencing the freedom that is already yours through Christ in you. This freedom is rooted in the most glorious victory of all eternity -- His cross!
PS, I realize this truth sounds too good to be true. However, this truth has transformed my life and the lives of many others through the ministry of Journey in Christ.
I love how someone has said,
"If it sounds too good to be true, it could be the gospel!"
I hope the exit to this Rest Stop has been encouraging.
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