Are You Experiencing Freedom in Christ

Have you experienced true freedom in Christ? To be free in Christ means you are no longer coerced by people’s expectations, you follow Christ’s desires not man’s, you are not bound by guilt that others may place upon you, you are led by the Holy Spirit, and you follow Jesus Christ, not rules and religion.

Experiencing freedom in Christ means you are free to have a personal, intimate walk with Him. When you follow what man wants from you or what society deems is acceptable, freedom in Christ is lost. God has a different plan and purpose for each one of us, and if we compare and model our lives after what others expect from us; we are in danger of conforming to the image of man not Christ.

Freedom in Christ means you can say “No” to others easily if you are not lead by God to do something. Freedom means you are Spirit-led to make choices, not man-led. Not everyone will be happy or pleased when you begin walking in freedom. Some people will try and hold on by guilt, manipulating, and controlling you into their plans.

If you are going to be a follower of Christ and not people, you will have to let some people down. That may be difficult if you are accustomed to doing what others want you to do, or need the approval of man.

Freedom in Christ does not mean we are free to do anything we want to, such as living in unconfessed sin. Sin hurts us, others, and God. However, we can be free from the demands that people may place upon us. How I worship Christ or spend time with Him may be entirely different than how someone else may, or how I serve others may be different than another person. I may not be led by the Holy Spirit to join a small group at church this season or attend an event. Is that wrong, especially since most people follow what others do? Absolutely not!

We cannot follow the crowds and Christ too! I used to follow what everybody else did, but I was not following what God wanted for me. My life just begin to mimic what everybody else was doing. We are unique and God has different purposes for each of us, being free to say, “I’m following Christ instead of the crowd,” is freeing. Are small groups at church and attending events wrong? No, but going to these because you feel pressured or because you are doing what others want of you is wrong. Being pressured to give and serve like everyone is also damaging to the freedom that Christ has given us. At one time, I followed how everybody served and gave to Christ, but I was not at peace. When I began to ask Jesus what He would have me to do, I realized that He did not want me involved in a lot of what I was doing. The way I serve Christ is different than the majority, but I am doing what I believe God has given me to do. I must be obedient to Christ.

Following Jesus instead of the crowd nay not always feel good to us. Sometimes we may feel alone, as everyone else is following suite to what everybody else is doing. At one time, I desperately wanted to fit-in with the crowd, but I also knew that meant I would not be doing what God desired for me.

When you begin to walk in freedom with Christ, you will experience an abundance of joy and peace. You are longer bound by religious duties and dead-religion, but you are transformed by the living God. You walk in God’s flow, and His ways for your life. You no longer look to pleasing man or fulfilling duties and obligations, but you look to Christ who leads and guides you.

If you are free in Christ, you are free to love, to worship, and serve Him. Freedom means you are no longer bound by people approval, religion, guilt, expectations, and fear of man.

Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.

I am emphatic about this. The moment any one of you submits to circumcision or any other rule-keeping system, at the same moment Christ’s hard-won gift of freedom is squandered. I repeat warning: The person who accepts the ways of circumcision trades all the advantages of the free life in Christ for the obligations of the slave life of the law. Galatians 5:1-3, The Message

In what areas of your life do you need freedom? Are you living under the law of man and religion, or have you experienced true freedom in Christ?