You Are FreeSample

Freedom is Yours

I like the word "new". I bet you do too.It's an exciting word, especially when its attached to things like cars, clothes, a house, or gadgets. We all like new things and want new things. As a society, we crave the latest and greatest of everything. This desire for "new" has reached a fevered pitch. We like "new" when it comes to our possessions, but that's not the case when it comes to the weightier matters of life. With these, "new" is a scary word. Embracing something new on this front means change. It's a break from the comfort of the status quo, or the way we've always done things. "New" ushers us into the unknown and unfamiliar, and we're not sure what to expect. It's hard for us to change, to let go of all that is familiar and comfortable—we resist with all our strength and might. This is just part of our human nature. This is why the gospel can be a frightening proposition as Spirit birth ushers us into the new. Paul made this point clearly: "If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Ready or not, here it is. 

• A new life (Romans 6:4)
• A new identity (John 1:12)
• A new self (Ephesians 4:24)
• A new heart (Ezekiel 36:26)
• A new covenant (Hebrews 9:15)
• A new command (John 13:34)
• A new way (Romans 7:6)

You might not know what this new life in Christ will look or feel like.  At first, it may feel a little awkward or strange. Like the Israelites, you may look back to your old life, especially when you feel down or blue or when you are going through a tough circumstance. At those times, Satan will do his best to make you think your old life was pretty good. "Remember all the fun you had when you...?" But as Peter wrote, "You have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry" (1 Peter 4:3). It is time to let go of the old, to stop looking back, and to embrace the new.There is nothing to fear. Jesus Christ is with you. He will never leave you. This means freedom for you, for "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17). The "new" that Christ has for you is better than anything you could ever dream or imagine. Besides, you can't go back. Once you are in the light, you can't go back to darkness. Once you have been set free, you will never be a slave to sin and death again. Once you cross over from death to life, the only way is forward in the newness of life.