Who does not want to be free?  Freedom is a blessed state of being.  Those who have it, cherish it, and those who do not, crave it.   Think of all the sacrifices that have been made and the lives that have been given in the quest for freedom.

The greatest freedom of all, however, is the spiritual freedom that we have in Christ.  This is one of the great benefits of being in Christ.  There is no other place where this freedom can be found.  It can only be realized by entering Christ.

Galatians 2:4 (ESV)
⁴ Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery—

To be free in Christ means to escape the bondage of sin.  As Christians, we are no longer enslaved to it.  (Romans 6:6-7).

Romans 6:6-7 (ESV)
⁶  We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷  For one who has died has been set free from sin.

This is what makes this the greatest freedom of all.  In Christ we have escaped the greatest bondage of all.  The consequences of being a slave to sin are devastating.  First, there are physical consequences.  Ask the alcoholic about that.  Ask the smoker.  You can even ask homosexuals.  Paul once said that homosexuals were receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error (Romans 1:27).  He was talking about the physical consequences of their sinful actions.

So, there are all kinds of problems that come from sin, but the most severe is spiritual.  The greatest consequence of sin is separation from God and all His blessings.  When one is under the bondage of sin, he does not have access to God through prayer; he does not have the right of God’s providential care, and worse of all, he does not have the hope of eternal life.  When a person dies in that condition, he loses access to all these things forever and, instead, will spend eternity in hell.  Thank God, in Christ, we have been set free.

To be free in Christ means to avoid being under a law that demands perfection.  I did not say that we are free from law altogether.  As Christians, we are under the law of Christ (Romans 8:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21); however, the law of Christ involves provision for sins when we fall short (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9).  Since all sin from time to time (Romans 3:23), this is wonderful news.

The person outside of Christ must live sinlessly to be saved.  In Christ we escape that burden.  In Christ, we are saved by grace, not because we have a license to sin, but because when we do sin, we have a way to repair the damage.  As John said, we have access, under the law of Christ, to the cleansing blood of Jesus.  All we have to do is repent and pray to God.

Finally, to be free in Christ means to have victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).  We do not have to go through life worrying about dying or falling apart every time we hear something unpleasant from the doctor.  Instead, can go through life enjoying the time that God gives us now, while at the same time looking forward to being with Jesus later (Philippians 1:23) because we know if we die before the Lord comes back, the gates of hades will not stop us from being raised from the dead and caught up to meet the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).  What a wonderful hope we have and can hold in our hearts every time we come to the close of day and lay our heads down on our pillows at night.  But once again, this freedom that gives us such great hope, can only be found in one place, that is, in Christ.       

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.