How do you find freedom from sin?

Rev. Joel Gaertner October 28, 2019

“You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness” (Romans 6:18).

Throughout the year, you can find conversations in our country about the freedoms we enjoy as U.S. citizens. For example, there are discussions and wrangling about the freedom to “bear arms.”

Any discussion of this freedom makes us realize how unreliable, and sometimes even questionable, this freedom is on earth.

Looking at the verse from Romans above, Paul reminds and reassures us that, despite any questions of earthly freedoms, we have a guaranteed freedom that is more important and valuable and no one can take it away.

Paul tells us, “You have been set free from sin.” Think of the ways sin seeks to enslave us in our daily life. We lose our freedom when we think that finding pleasure in a particular sin drags us into the darkness and despair of repeated struggles. At these times, we find ourselves enslaved by sin as the devil leads us to question forgiveness and doubt God’s love because we have committed a sin.

How, then, do we find freedom from sin? Our freedom can only and completely be found in Jesus.  We are set free from sin by his perfect life that God accepted as a substitute for our sin-stained lives.

We are completely freed from the guilt and punishments of our sins as we look to Jesus and see him make the payment for every last sin. God accepted that payment and declared us as “not guilty.”

Prayerfully, you know these comforting truths of our Christian faith.  Even if you do not, there are probably still times when you wonder about your freedom in Jesus.  As said above, the devil tries everything he can to rob us of that freedom and tries to get us to doubt ourselves.

Whenever you face a difficult time caused by the devil’s tricks, look to the life and cross of Jesus and use the words that Jesus spoke, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matthew 16:23).

We will never have complete freedom while we live on earth. Our freedoms as citizens of the U.S. will be challenged and the devil will continuously try to rob us of the true freedom we have in Jesus. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, there are many days where I feel enslaved by sin and seek to be free from my sin and its consequences. Thank you for the true freedom from sin that you give me in Jesus and the forgiveness he won for me. Lead me to use that freedom to serve you and others in love. Amen.