Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. – Romans 8:21
If you go to church, there are so many things you cannot do,” a young man said to me shortly after I had been saved. At one point in time, I had believed the same thing. Since I have been saved, however, I have experienced liberty! I have freedom from the bondage of cigarettes, freedom from the bonds of drinking, and from all the other things that accompany that lifestyle. The truth was, I had experienced bondage before I was saved, and there was plenty to go around.
The enemy causes people who sin to think they have freedom in their addictions. Actually, the smoker is bound by a desire for nicotine he cannot overcome. The alcoholic or drug user is bound by a desire to escape reality even for a few hours. These people become bound by the unhappiness their addictions ultimately bring to themselves and everyone involved in their lives. They experience a restlessness they cannot identify, and they search anywhere and everywhere looking for something to ease that state of mind, but they find no relief.
Satan’s best-kept secret is that Jesus changes our desires. Christ fills the need of the restless mind and satisfies the urge to run to and fro. He makes it possible to sleep peacefully at night. He brings a “glorious liberty.”
The year I was saved, I went deer hunting. I had been hunting before but with trepidation, fearful that an accident might happen and I would end up in Hell. That year, however, I experienced a different feeling! If anything had happened, I knew my destination for Heaven was settled. I was able to tromp those hills with a new vigor. Everything looked good to me.
A Christian lives in glorious liberty every day. When we gave our lives to Jesus, all the “can’t dos” were changed into “don’t want to dos,” and with God’s liberty, we do not have to anymore. This is the Good News that lost souls need to hear. They may not even realize they are bound right now, but they will be so grateful the day they are set free! May we take every opportunity to share the truth of our liberty in Christ with all who are bound!