Glorious Freedom
Scripture Reading — Romans 8:18-21
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
In Romans 8, Paul uses the phrase “the freedom and glory of the children of God” to refer to both the present reality of God’s children and a future in which hope becomes realized and suffering is only a distant memory. This glorious freedom is based on our relationship to our Father God as his children.
The opportunity of being God’s child, as opposed to being a servant or slave, is an invitation to a life of freedom. God’s forgiven children are free from the condemnation of sin (Romans 8:1-2). The power of canceled sin means that hell no longer has a claim on our soul. We are free from sin and its eternal condemnation.
We are free from slavery to sin as well, free to serve God joyfully. Complete freedom is the ability to do whatever we want to do. This freedom occurs when our hearts have been so changed by God that we follow the Holy Spirit and actually desire to do what pleases the Father. Genuine freedom involves doing what we were designed to do, being who we were created to be.
The wonderful combination of freedom and glory is the norm for believers who have experienced the radical forgiveness of grace through Christ and are eager to serve together with fellow sons and daughters of God in the Father’s kingdom.
We praise you, O God, for the redemption and freedom of our souls. Help us to use our freedom to be Christlike in serving you and others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
About the author — Rob Jansons
Rob Jansons is the pastor of New Hope Fellowship in Monroe, Washington, where he has served for almost twenty years. He and his wife, Sue, have been married since 1989 and have three daughters. Rob spends time each year in Calcutta, India, working with a Christian ministry to children living in slums. He enjoys hiking in the Pacific Northwest, camping with his family, reading, writing, and being a pastor.
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