Benefits of Freedom in Christ
Has anyone ever told you that you are free in Christ? If so, do you know what it means to have freedom in Christ? What are the benefits of freedom in Christ for the believer?
For some reason, a lot of people immediately think that they are free to live however they want to. They are free to sin.
That is not what freedom in Christ means. However, having freedom in Christ is a truth that we see in Scripture that has amazing benefits in our lives.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
(Galatians 5:1)
Freedom From Eternal Judgment
When you receive the grace of God by faith alone in Christ alone, you escape eternal judgment. Only unbelievers will be judged at The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15) and doomed to the lake of fire.
Believers are already spiritually seated in heaven the moment we say yes to Jesus. The apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 3:1 that we have already been raised with Christ, and in Philippians 3:20, he says that we are already citizens of heaven.
If you are a believer, you are in a spiritual union with Jesus, sitting at the right hand of God the Father (Col. 3:1-3). This is an eternal union that cannot be broken.
The first benefit of freedom in Christ is the freedom from eternal judgment.
Freedom From Sin
Before you came to know Christ, you were in bondage to sin. You were a slave to it (Romans 6:20). You had a sin nature (Ephesians 2:1-3).
We all feel this in our lives. We experience temporary pleasure in sin, but it never satisfies. Then we go back to it over and over again to try and find life. We are slaves to it.
However, the moment we put our faith in Jesus for salvation, not only are we forgiven for our sin but we are given a new nature (2 Peter 1:4). The chains fall off and we are freed from our bondage to sin.
6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
(Romans 6:6-7)
You are now free not to sin! You don’t have to turn to sin to experience life because you now have abundant life in Christ.
The second benefit of freedom in Christ is the freedom from sin. The freedom not to sin!
Freedom From the Law
The Law was given to the Israelites under the Old Covenant. There were blessings for following the Law and there were curses for not following the Law.
The Law of course was good, but the people were put in bondage to the Law. They were slaves to the Law. They had to be perfectly obedient to be blessed and to avoid being cursed.
Not only that, but there was no way to ultimately be made righteous through works of the Law. It just makes us aware of our sin problem (Romans 3:20).
Furthermore, the apostle Paul tells us that God had to release us from the Law so that we might actually bear fruit for God and be able to serve in the new way of the Spirit (Romans 7:4-6). And that is exactly what He did through the cross!
Now that you have been set free from the Law, we are not to go back and be burdened by that yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1). Instead, we live by the power of the Spirit in us and through us to produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
The third benefit of freedom in Christ is freedom from the Law.
Freedom From Religion
Not only are you free from the Law but you are free from religion. Christianity is not a religion. It is a relationship with a Person.
A lot of people will get caught up in religious duties. They’ll measure their life by a checklist of things they are supposed to be doing. If they are doing religious things then they feel like they are living the Christian life. Then comes the bondage. You must religiously check these things off your list or else!
But Jesus came to set people free from religion. When you look at the gospels, there is no one that Jesus got upset with more than religious people.
Jesus didn’t come die on the cross and come dwell inside of you so that you could perform religious duties for Him. He came to have an intimate relationship with you.
The fourth benefit of freedom in Christ is freedom from religion.
Freedom From Wearing a Mask
Sin produces guilt and shame in our lives. When we experience shame, we hide (Genesis 3:8-10). We wear masks. We don’t let people into our lives. We keep them at a distance.
We have to do these things because we can’t let people know the real us. If they found that out, then they wouldn’t want to be our friend.
Mask wearing is addictive. It’s so addictive that we often don’t even know we are doing it. It just becomes part of who we are and what we do.
Hiding behind a mask leaves us feeling lonely and unloved. No one knows who we really are. They only love our masks.
But Jesus set us free from hiding! Through the cross, He abolished our sin as far as the east is from the west. We are no longer defined by our sin. We have a new identity and a new nature.
This allows us to come out of hiding and to take off our masks. We are free to tell people what’s really going on in our lives and to receive love and help in our time of need. Jesus allows us to live authentically with Him and with others.
The fifth benefit of freedom in Christ is the freedom to quit hiding behind a mask.
Freedom To Live in God’s Sovereignty
Apart from Christ, we have a need to control everything that we possibly can. When life throws us a curve ball, we go into panic mode. We instantaneously begin trying to figure out how to fix things and manipulate things to work out in our favor.
But Jesus frees us from the anxiety and worry associated with conflict, the unknown, and our future. God is sovereign. Nothing takes Him by surprise. He is able to take the choices we make (good or bad), the things that happen to us, and whatever is going on in the world, and still move things along according to His plans.
We cannot thwart God’s plan. We don’t have to control things. We are free to live in whatever situation of life we find ourselves in and trust that He is working for our good and His glory.
A sixth benefit of freedom in Christ is the freedom to trust in the sovereignty of God.
Freedom To Serve Others
When we are looking for abundant life, we have to use other people in our lives. We need their approval, love, and affection, so we must find ways to get what we need out of them.
But in Christ all our needs are met. We have all the love, approval, value, worth, and affection that we will ever need in Him.
If we no longer have to look to other people to get our needs met, then we are now free to love them and serve them. As Jesus peels back our eyes to see all that we have in Him, He opens our eyes to see people in need and empowers us to meet those needs.
We are free to enter into the role we were created to have in God’s Kingdom work. Jesus will take our talents, resources, personalities, and spiritual gifts and use them to make eternal impact on other people in this world.
A seventh benefit to freedom in Christ is the freedom to love and serve others with no expectation of getting anything in return.
Freedom To Enjoy God
God created you to know you and live in an intimate relationship with you. He loves you. He likes you. He wants to be with you and to be your Source for all of life.
Sin messed that up. Sin separated you from God. Sin forced you to try and earn His approval, and to feel like you’ve always got to be looking over your shoulder to see if you are doing things right.
But through Jesus’ finished work on the cross, you’ve been reconciled to God. You are His child. You are now free to enjoy being with Him. You are free to rest in His love. You are free to experience His joy.
An eighth benefit to freedom in Christ is the freedom to enjoy an intimate relationship with your Father.
Benefits of Freedom In Christ
The freedom we have in Christ is a reality that many of us never get to truly experience in our lives. We just don’t know how free we really are.
In Christ you are free from eternal judgment, sin, the Law, religion, and hiding behind a mask. You are free to live in God’s sovereignty, serve others, and enjoy an intimate relationship with Him.
Make it your prayer to ask Jesus to open your eyes to see the freedom you have in Him and to allow you to begin experiencing these benefits in your own life every day.