Set Free: 21 Day Devotional: Day 17

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. Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

Life in Christ is lived so differently when we understand what freedom means!

I grew up in a home and church environment that was very legalistic. They taught me to love Jesus, and I loved Jesus, but I also felt like I had to do a lot. I had to follow a lot of rules in order to achieve God’s full love and acceptance for me. As I look at this scripture, it teaches us so much differently. It tells us that Christ has already set us free. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. In other words, we don’t need to live with guilt. We don’t need to live with shame. We don’t need to strive. We don’t need to “do” in order to feel accepted or loved by God. Jesus has already done it all for me and for you to be fully loved and fully accepted by Him.

We can be so tempted to live a performance based faith. Well, at least I can, by trying to earn God’s love. I strive for perfection, for acceptance and approval, and we don’t need to do that. Our acceptance and love from God is based solely on what Jesus did on the cross.

So today, I want to encourage us to do what the apostle Paul says “stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” In other words, he’s saying don’t go back to those religious rules, but stand firm in the grace that you have received, the full grace that we have received through that which Jesus did on the cross.  Let’s stand in this truth. Let’s believe God’s word. It’s for freedom that we have been set free! Let’s let go of our striving. Sometimes the striving looks like spiritual discipline or spiritual performance as pastors and leaders, but let us rest in what Jesus had done for us on the cross. You and I are fully loved and accepted. Our identity and self-worth comes only through what Jesus had done on the cross of Calvary.

So, live in freedom! Walk each day grateful and confident in Christ’s work on the cross for you, because He loves you! He accepts you! He is enough for you! And when we know these truths, then we can joyfully obey God with all the gratitude in our hearts for what He has done.

Jesus, thank you for our freedom. Thank you that our freedom is based on what you have done on the cross of Calvary. Thank you that we are fully loved and accepted. Our full identity comes from you. Let us be confident, not only today, but each day of our lives. May we be confident in the finished work of the cross-in our lives. Thank you Jesus for dying for us. Thank you for setting us free!! Amen