Wow! I didn’t realize how long it has been since I posted an entry. Time is really flying by. With so many things going on over the last month and as we prepare for Baby Girl Washington’s arrival in 15 weeks (or less hopefully), I just haven’t taken the time to sit down and write which is one of my favorite things to do.
I had the incredible opportunity to be the key note speaker at our women’s retreat at the beginning of March. Just over 50 ladies from our church gathered together for an overnight getaway. I had no idea the impact this experience would have on my journey. It served as confirmation that we are all meant to share trials and triumphs we experience for the sake of others and our own journey toward knowing God more intimately.
This will be my first entry of several from all that I shared at the retreat. The title of my 3 part series was “Freedom” and it really served to complete a chapter in my life so that I can declare freedom in a particular area of my life.
Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
What is freedom? It is the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement of under physical restraint, exemption from external control, interference, regulations, etc.
So...what does free mean? It means enjoying personal rights or liberty, as a person who is not in slavery.
Freedom in Christ is to operate in the hope and knowledge that Jesus died to save me and through his resurrection I have power and strength to accomplish ANYTHING. Anything could be giving up a career to stay home with our children and support my husband’s career. It could be overcoming divorce or death or disease. It could be leading a friend through a difficult time and ultimately to Christ. It could be giving up the “American dream” to live as a missionary in a third world country. It could be learning to slow down to pursue only “God things” versus the good things that only run us ragged.
To understand freedom in Christ we must first understand three things. The first being how were we created?
“For you created my inmost being: you kit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” - Psalm 139:13-14
So that means God made you and me. His works (again, you and me) are wonderful. He knit us together. This reminds me of the ladies at our church back in Evansville who would knit baby booties for all expecting mothers. As they knitted, they would pray over the unborn babies and their families. They mailed the booties and a card to each family after each baby was born.
“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness,...” - Genesis 1:26
God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit decided to make mankind to look like Him. That doesn’t mean physically, but in our characteristics, our spirit, and soul. Just sit and think about that for a minute and let it blow your mind.
“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” - Genesis 2:7
The first time I “got this” was when we were teaching children’s church a few years ago. The teacher observed the distinction in Scripture. God spoke the world into being, but when it came to humans, he breathed life into us. God’s breath is what gives us life. Now let that blow your mind for a minute.
The second thing we need to understand in the pursuit of freedom in Christ is why were we created?
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him” - 1 John 3:1
God loves us. We are God’s beloved and he is ours. The creator of the universe wants a relationship with each of us. I love the word lavished in this verse.
“Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.” - 1 Chronicles 16:23-25
We are each created to bring God glory. To reflect and proclaim his glory. To demonstrate that He is greatest and most important, and no one deserves more honor. Is that your perspective each day if Jesus is your savior? Is that what motivates your decisions - big and small - as you go about your life?
The third thing we need to understand as we consider freedom in Christ is how do we have a relationship with the glorious God?
“But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and fee from accusation-” - Colossians 1:22
God purses me. He has provided a way that I can be reconciled to him. He had a plan from the very beginning to bring us back into right relationship with him after sin entered the world.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” - 2 Corinthians 5:21
Through Jesus Christ, I am justified. I am totally forgiven and completely pleasing to God. When he looks at me he sees HIS pure, holy and blameless child because Christ gave us his righteousness and took our sin, guilt and shame on the cross.
“Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.” - Acts 13:39
This tells us that there is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor. It is only through our acceptance of Jesus’ free gift of salvation that we can enter into relationship with God.
If Jesus lives in you, is that how you see yourself? If he doesn’t would you like him to?
So if we believe this, if we own it, if we hold desperately to it, then what could our lives be like?
We would be free...free from the world’s expectations. Free from our own hang ups. Free from fear and pride. Free from the guilt of our past. Free from our circumstances.
Free to love, to dance, to cry, to laugh, to LIVE as God intends.
To be continued...
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