Freedom

“Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:2 (NIV)

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about freedom, especially during the current Covid-19 pandemic. As Americans, we tend to take our freedoms for granted. We call ourselves the land of the free and the home of the brave. But lately, we haven’t been much of either. For the last 2 months, we have been under “safe at home” quarantine and for the first time in my lifetime, we have experienced unprecedented restrictions on our freedoms. Here are just a few of our freedoms that have been limited:

  • Can’t go to work, church, or school

  • Can’t visit a loved one in the hospital, assisted living facility, or nursing home

  • Can’t physically be with a loved one who is dying alone in the hospital, assisted living, or nursing home

  • Can’t have an eye exam, elective surgery, or routine dental procedure

  • Can’t attend a sporting event, bowling alley, museum, or movie theatre

  • Can’t dine in a restaurant

  • Can’t get a hair cut, manicure, or pedicure

  • Can’t gather in groups larger than 10

  • Must socially distance at least 6 feet apart even with my grandchildren

  • Must wear a face mask

  • Travel restricted across state lines in some cases

  • Rationed food and supply chain shortages

Each one of these limitations is a loss of individual freedoms in one way or another. But the freedom that Paul describes in Romans 8:2 is freedom from the curse of sin and death that was the direct consequence of Adam’s rebellion in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). When tempted by the serpent’s lying question, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?” Eve didn’t focus on all of the freedom she enjoyed to eat from every other tree of the Garden. Instead Eve set her sights on the one restriction God placed on her and fell into the cycle of temptation and sin. Author Jen Wilkin describes the cycle of temptation and sin as:

  • “I see it.

  • I want it. 

  • I take it. 

  • I spread the consequences.” 

Well, Eve spread the consequences all right and creation has been dealing with decay, disease, disaster, and death ever since. Our slavery and bondage to sin came with Adam’s Fall in the Garden.

But Paul’s focus in Romans 8:2 is not on sin and death, but on the Spirit of life. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the grave is available to us to help us overcome the power of indwelling sin in this life and the power of the grave in the life to come. The good news of the Gospel is that it always brings freedom, forgiveness, and the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1-3. Jesus began his public ministry by reading the prophet’s words in his hometown synagogue of Nazareth:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:18-19, 21)

Freedom, forgiveness and fulfillment are all great blessings of the Gospel of Christ. But what have we been freed from? Those who are by faith united to Christ are freed from penalty of sin (justification- past); freed from the power of sin (sanctification- present); and one day will be freed from the very presence of sin (glorification – future). In Christ we are freed from the penalty, power, and presence of sin.

“You will know the truth and the truth will set you free. I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 8:32, 14:6)

Freedom, forgiveness, and fulfillment: the good news of the Gospel!

Holly Hollon