FINDING REAL FREEDOM

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  Luke 9:23

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  John 8:36

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

It’s Independence Day here in the United States, a day when we celebrate our nation gaining its liberty and freedom as an independent nation 239 years ago.

But guess what?

Amidst all the picnics, parades, and fireworks today lies a sobering truth.

We are not really free just because we live in America. The same can be said about any other nation who feels it has gained freedom of its own doing. This is because there is only one way to true freedom, a freedom that sets you free now and forever more, in this world and in the one yet to come, and that was is through Jesus, who said the following:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  Luke 9:23

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  John 8:36

So how does this equate to the truth that we really aren’t free outside of Jesus? Let me break it down for you.

First, Jesus is the only way to God the Father. Period. We’re not going to heaven unless we have believed in Him as our Savior, the One who died to pay the price for our sins.

Second, if we say we believe in Jesus as Savior, then we accept that our identity is now changed to “Christian” and that means we need to live like Christ in all that we do, committing follow Him and His ways. Jesus said that He is the way and the truth and the life and with that, He is the only one we are to model our lives after.

Third, In order to follow Jesus and His will and ways, we need to surrender ourselves, giving up our will and desires in order to follow His. Jesus said that any disciple of His must deny themselves and take up their cross daily. This means that He comes first even if it means we need to sacrifice something we want to do.

In other words, in order to find true freedom, a freedom that opens the gates of heaven for us to enter and live forever one day, we first have to lose our own freedom and do so willingly. Jesus made a life out of sacrificing for others to the point of willingly suffering and dying so we might live. In order to be free in Him, we need to sacrifice our own wants in life to be about His business, just as He was always about the business of God, His Father.

Friends, are you truly free today or are you out celebrating some counterfeit freedom that will not endure?

If you’re not in Jesus, I pray that today will be the day that you find your real liberty in this life and the eternal life to come through Christ.

For Jesus said:

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  John 8:36

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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