(The following is the August 2 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read 2 Corinthians 3 and pay close attention to verses 12-18.)
Humans value personal freedom. Governments recognize varying degrees of liberty for citizens. Those accustomed to living in relative freedom would find it extremely difficult if given fewer rights. Citizens in restrictive nations often attempt to relocate to countries known for individual flourishing. Freedom matters. However, political and civil freedoms are potentially temporary and subject to change as laws and leaders change.
The freedom one experiences as a Christian relates to eternal matters earthly governments can’t provide. Jesus discussed truth and freedom in John 8:32, saying, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” and he added in John 8:36, “If the Son sets you free, you really will be free.” In today's focal passage, Paul wrote, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (v. 17).
What is meant by Christian freedom? To answer, we should identify what we are free from and free to. Spurgeon identifies members of each category:
We are free from the bondage of sin, the penalty of sin, the guilt of sin, the dominion of sin, the fear of the law, and the fear of death and hell.
We are free to experience all the promises in the Bible, approach the throne of grace, eat at the Lord’s table, and live in Heaven for eternity. *
Unlike earthly freedoms, which human authorities can change, our heavenly Father frees his children forever from sin and its consequences. He grants us the extraordinary privilege of his presence now and forever. No one can take that away from us.
Next Step:
Review the lists above of what Christians are free from and free to. What would you add to the lists? Which are most precious to you?
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* CSB Spurgeon Study Bible, ed. Alistair Begg (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1562.
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