All too often, we take our freedom for granted. We wake up, move through the day, make choices, speak our minds, worship, work, and live as if freedom is something we will always have. But freedom is not small. Freedom is a gift, and every gift should be handled with gratitude.
The Bible says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” That means Jesus did not come just to make us religious. He came to set us free from the things that hold our hearts captive—sin, shame, guilt, fear, and the pressure of trying to earn God’s love.
In simple words, Christ did what we could not do for ourselves. He paid the price. He opened the door. He broke the chains. Because of Him, we do not have to live trapped by our past or weighed down by the idea that we must be perfect before God will accept us.
But Christian freedom does not mean we can do anything we want without care or consequence. Freedom in Christ is not an excuse to live selfishly. It is an invitation to live differently. It is freedom to love better, serve others, forgive more quickly, and walk with God instead of being ruled by old habits.
Paul also says, “Stand firm.” That means we must hold on to the freedom Christ has given us. We cannot let fear, people’s opinions, legalism, or guilt put chains back on us. We must remember that our hope is not in our performance, our titles, our traditions, or our good works. Our hope is in Jesus alone.
So today, let us not take freedom for granted—whether the freedom we enjoy in our daily lives or the deeper freedom we have in Christ. Let us be thankful. Let us stand firm. Let us refuse to go back to the things God has already delivered us from.
And most of all, let us use our freedom well: not to serve ourselves, but to love God and love people. That is what real freedom looks like.
Minister A Francine Green I July 2026