Freedom in Christ

During my rebellion phase, I questioned what freedom was gained by following Christ. I got the idea that God was asking me to be perfect. How could a person have freedom if there were so many restrictions? Mind you, this was all things I had heard other people say. Not a word I read and/or heard from God. I was questioning a relationship I had not taken the time to build. Thank God for his grace.

I assumed that God was asking for perfection, asking for a sinless life. In my limited understanding, he was asking for the impossible. And if he was asking for something impossible, then it was the opposite of freedom. If God created me in this life, then he had to know the person he was making. He had to know my flaws and imperfections. And with that knowledge, how could he ask me to be perfect? Where was the freedom? It wasn't making sense. But it wouldn't make sense to someone who hadn't taken the time to get to know him.

What is Freedom?

The definition of freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. I have always thought of freedom as simply doing what I wanted, when I wanted. I thought of it as actions without consequences. And with my relationship with God at that time, I just knew my definition and his definition did not align.

There is a way to live when you are not just a Christian but a follower of Christ. There is a clear way to do things. And all I saw was what you could not do when I thought about freedom in Christ. I thought about the music you couldn't listen to, the way you couldn't talk, the way you couldn't dress. How could a God that created you ask you to stifle your personality? That is how I saw this. God was asking me to deny my personality, to become boring. Oh, how I was wrong.

Christ's Freedom

After seeking a relationship with him, I soon realized that, yes, he was asking me to deny something, but it wasn't my personality. Those parts of me were not my personality. Those parts of me were the conforming of my flesh to worldly ideals. Those were things that catered to my flesh, the things that felt good, the things that I liked that made me believe that was my personality. Through Christ, I am not banned from those things. I can do things differently.

As I read more of God's word and built a relationship with him, I began to understand the freedom I was gaining, no longer focused on what I thought I was losing. Have you ever felt God's peace? A peace that fills your core, acting as a blanket for your soul. A peace in the midst of chaos, where your physical body is no longer riddled with anxiety? Have you ever had the thickness of offense lifted from your heart? A situation where personal attacks don't affect your senses? Have you ever heard the Holy Spirit guide you? A subtle voice of confirmation? These are gifts that come with Christ's freedom.

The freedom that is gained in Christ is freedom from worldly worries, freedom from offense, and freedom into peace. That's not to say that you won't hurt, be angry, have anxiety, and/or make mistakes. Freedom in Christ means you have a Father, an ally, a partner, a comforter, and a friend. He is there to help navigate and control those emotions. Cast your worries on him. This is where the freedom lives. Real freedom was created when I began to rely on a God that I know works for my good. When those human emotions arise in my flesh, I have a heavenly Father who knows all. And through him, I find peace, love, and renewal.

Freedom comes when I realize my ability to ask God to intervene when I am frustrated, when I'm overwhelmed, when I'm angry. He does and allows me to breathe. And the situation is changed. For that, I am thankful.