There Is More Freedom for the Taking

John 8:31-32 says we're free in Christ. If you think about that for a while, you realize that you don't just get free from things. You're also free to do things.

What Are You Free From?

Romans 6:7 tells us we're set free from the power of sin. That doesn't mean we won't ever sin again. But we're set free from the power of sin, which I believe is shame and guilt. If we're in Christ, we don't have to feel that way anymore. We can be sorry and then ask God to forgive us, and He absolutely will. The Bible says there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (see Romans 8:1 NIV).

In Christ, we're set free from our own self-hatred, self-rejection and self-doubt. There are so many people in the world who do not like themselves. But the Bible doesn't really give us that choice. It says God formed you in your mother's womb, made you with His own hand—and everything He does is good. So if you're going to live by the Word, you're going to have to make the decision to like yourself.

God created us to please Him, which sets us free from the need to please people. That doesn't mean we don't want to be good to people. It means we're set free from the tyranny of people's rejection, criticisms, judgments and misunderstandings.

Think about it this way: When a child gets teased at school, they run home to their parents who inevitably tell them, "It's okay. We love you. We think you're great. It doesn't matter what anybody else says or thinks." Then the child starts to feel a lot better.

Well, when we feel like we've been hurt, we have the freedom to run to God and tell Him how we feel. And inevitably, He'll saying something like, "Well, I love you and I think you're pretty wonderful. And it doesn't matter what anybody says—I haven't given up on you."

I don't know about you, but whenever God talks to me, I always end up feeling pretty good!

What Are You Free to Do?

In Christ, we're free to step out and try something new. Making a mistake shouldn't make one bit of difference to us because God isn't worried about our earthly success; He's interested in our heart. He wants to see if we're willing to step out and do what we feel is right.

In Christ, you're also free to enjoy life…to enjoy God…to enjoy yourself. He delights in you. And in Christ, we're free to be secure and comfortable with anybody, anywhere—poor or rich, highly educated or not.

The Freedom of Knowing Who You Are

According to Galatians 2:6, God isn't impressed by titles or reputations or the positions people hold on earth. We can wear ourselves out trying to impress each other, but God's not impressed. We may think associating with people who we think are important makes us important; but it's not what makes you important to God.

The reason you are important is because you're in Christ and He's in you. How much more important can you get?