Can You Really Be Free?

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Have you ever had doubts about your standing with God? Have you ever wondered whether you could possibly do enough good deeds to earn His favor? Do you ever worry that you have failed too miserably for Him to accept you, much less love you? Is the idea of His unconditional love for you beyond your comprehension? How can we know for sure if we are OK with God?

 

 

Generations of believers have been brought up with the fear that if Jesus comes back at the moment they commit a sin, they will be sent to hell. To make it worse, the sins that often plague them are merely infractions of man-made rules, not Biblical commands, hence not really sins at all. Some teach that specific behaviors will send their souls to hell when nothing is mentioned concerning that particular behavior in the Bible at all. For example, young people in my parents’ generation were taught that dancing, wearing make up, drinking Coca Cola from a can, or owning a radio would send them to hell.

 

As these rules are usually created by churches or ministers with good intentions to guide Christians into Godly living, this misinterpretation of Scripture does not line up with God’s love or truth at all. This is more in line with the mentality of the Pharisees in Jesus’ time. Perhaps this was to instill fear as a motivation to help believers want to live properly and to show reverence for God, but Scripture teaches that it is the kindness of God that compels us to turn from our sin, not fear of punishment. (Romans 2:4) The danger of fear-motivated teaching is that it nullifies Jesus’ sacrifice and gives a false sense of security that we can possibly be good enough if we try hard enough.

 

While we are admonished in Scripture to put away deeds of the flesh and to obey His commands, none of that will ever be enough to make us righteous before God. It is only through faith in Jesus that we will ever have hope of salvation. He alone was able to pay the price for our sin once and for all. It is finished! (Hebrews 10:10 )

 

Here is where we find more confusion, however, and much of the fear doctrine is based upon this. In Galatians, right after we are instructed that God’s grace justifies us once and for all and that it is not by any works we do, we then see verses that say that anyone who follows the desires of the sinful nature will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21) It gives a list of sins, including “angry outbursts.” Doesn’t that seem like a contradiction? Does it really mean that I will be lost forever if I lose my temper, for example? There are other similar examples of this in Scripture as well. How can we read about grace and freedom and then stumble upon verses such as these? How do they fit together?

 

What we need to be careful about when we read the Bible is to understand it in context. As we read the rest of chapter 5, for example, we understand that it is really cautioning about living according to our flesh rather than living by the Spirit. When we have a relationship with Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives inside of us to guide us. We are then new creatures that are no longer slaves to our sinful natures, but to Him. When we yield to Him, we are walking according to the Spirit, not the flesh, and we have nothing to fear. He is certainly able to keep us out of trouble, even if we trip once in awhile. Go ahead and read all of chapter 5 and understand the freedom we have in Christ, not condemnation. Also, see Romans 6:14 for even more clarification. His grace is so awesome! Here is even more hope for you if you are afraid of falling out of God’s grace. Proverbs 24:16 says that even when a righteous man falls seven times, he gets back up. That’s it! That is the difference between walking in the Spirit rather than after the flesh.

 

With all of that said, is it really possible to know for certain then that all is well with our souls? Here is how to know for sure:

 

First of all, understand that there is no way we could ever earn God’s grace. It is a free gift to us who do not deserve it. It is through faith in Him that we can be sure of salvation. It is not by any works we could ever do. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Our righteousness alone will never amount to any more than filthy rags. Every one of us has a sin condition that needs dealt with, and we will never meet God’s perfect standard on our own. The consequence of our sin is death, but Jesus died in our place so we don’t have to. Because of Him, we can be as pure as if we have never sinned. He then gives us the gift of eternal life. In other words, Christ, who never sinned, became sin for us and paid the price for sin in our place. Thus, He took care of the sin problem once and for all. (2 Corinthians 5:21) He bridged the gap forever that had separated us from God. However, we MUST be born again before we can claim that promise. (John 3:3)

 

When we are born again, our old nature passes away, and we become new creatures in Him. We enter into a relationship with God, and the Holy Spirit dwells within us. (1 Corinthians 6:19) It is actually a simple process for us since He did all the work. All we have to do is first believe in Him; admit our sin nature and ask for forgiveness; turn away from our old life; invite Him into our lives; and allow Him to transform us. Invite Him to be your Lord and Savior, and He will. Then, instead of striving in our own efforts, we learn to walk by the Spirit, and by faith, we trust in Him to keep us. As this wonderful relationship develops, the Holy Spirit gives us the desire and the strength to do what pleases Him. (Philippians 2:13) He teaches us and guides us in all truth. He does not give us a check list of things to do or not to do to be holy, thankfully, but He takes us through a process of developing Godly character. His purpose is to form us into the likeness of Himself. (Romans 8:29) (2 Corinthians 3:18) As we cooperate with Him, we will see Him make something magnificent out of our lives.

 

So, where do holy living and good works fit into all of this? Here is where it all comes together. Although works can never make us good enough, obedience to Him is the evidence whether or not we truly belong to Him. (1 John 2:3-6 and 1 John 3:4-9) As our relationship with Him grows, so does our desire to live a life that glorifies Him. We will naturally make the effort through the Holy Spirit’s prompting and strength, and the fruit will be evident in our lives.

 

Of course, living for Him does not mean that we will be perfect. After all, we still live in physical bodies. It is certain that we will make mistakes. The good news is that while we are only righteous because He is righteous, His righteousness is more than enough for us. When we fall or fumble with desires of our flesh, the Holy Spirit convicts us and sets us back on course. Keep in mind, conviction is not the same as judgment or condemnation, but it is loving correction from the One who cares about our living the best life possible. His discipline is not disapproval of us, but on the contrary, it is actually proof that we belong to Him. He only disciplines those whom He loves, and He corrects those whom He calls His children. (Hebrews 12:5-11) This proves that a mistake will not sever our relationship with Him.

 

Here is the caution, however. If we are continuing to live in darkness with no apparent regard for avoiding evil, or if the fruit we bear is rotten, then that is when we need to question our relationship with God. (Romans 6:15-18) When we have been transformed by Him, it will show in our lives. If we truly love Him, we will keep His commands. (John 14:21)

 

If you feel far from God right now but are afraid to approach Him, please understand His infinite love for you. He accepts you just as you are and wants a relationship with you more than anything. He loves you more than you could ever imagine! You cannot possibly sin yourself away from His love for you. Please, don’t waste another minute living in pit of despair or false hope. You can make it right with God right now. No more running. Return to Him with all your heart, and let Him take the driver’s seat of your life. Even at this very moment, you can be certain of your salvation now and for all eternity. You can know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32)

 

Read here for more about how to be saved. Let me know if I can pray with you.

 

May these truths help you live in the freedom Christ paid such a dear price to give us. Live that abundant life! (John 10:10) (Galatians 5:1)

 

God bless!

 

Signature Shari

 

 

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