Freedom.

Freedom. Once again the word has become more than a sentimental slogan during patriotic festivities, or a given concept in the statues of our countries. Our generation faces the raw need of freedom: we are becoming aware of the millions of stories of modern day slavery, and facing the struggles of addictions, economy, and prejudice that become the bondage of many… including ourselves.

The great news of Jesus clashing with such a decadent system and victoriously disarming the strongholds to which we have surrendered our peace, our integrity and our spirits, is an eternal declaration that applies its full force of authority in our past, our present, and our future. LET FREEDOM RING!!!

Jesus stretches His pierced hands to us offering much more than a single moment of forgiveness. While He abundantly shows His love and mercy to me—a flawed, scarred, broken, proud and disoriented human who has tried to measure up to a high and holy standard of justice—He proves the victory He has already won for my soul. 

Not only was this a victory in past times, it is a victory that resonates every day. It is etched in eternity, sealed by the purest blood and sustained by the fiercest love. This victory means that the price for our freedom has been paid in full, and it applies to our past days and our future years. Eternal freedom: no expiration date.

Merriam-Webster defines freedom as:

1. The quality or state of being free.

2. The absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action.

3. Liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another: independence.

4. The quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous.

Jesus Christ has given everything to offer us the eternal quality or state of being free. He died so that you and I could have a choice to love and follow Him without restrictions. He offers our liberation from the destructive power of Satan and our flesh.  And usually we stop there.

In my own life, Jesus keeps reminding me that He has given me freedom from something onerous. Your burden and shackle might be a sickness, or for others an addiction… depression, low self-esteem… My onerous binding frequently turns out to be the strive for holiness. The law sneaks upon us and the lie Satan wants us to believe is that God’s commandments and statues, as well as what could be commonly known as “Godly ways of living,” are tasks piled upon us. Suddenly do’s and don’ts become sandbags that lower our necks to the ground and keep us from lifting our eyes to see the wide horizons Jesus has opened. This is why I constantly have to be reminded of the full gift of the Gospel: Jesus has paid for my freedom today. No more constraints, no oppression: He has bought for me ease and openness, boldness, unrestricted use of His grace and power and resources, and even the improper familiarity to lift my hands in blissful gratefulness before the Almighty Creator of the Universe—my Father.

As we keep on meditating on and celebrating freedom this month, let us remember everyday in the middle of our routines or the pauses of vacations that freedom is available and it is meant to liberate us from a stifled and dark environment to an outlook of life and joy abundant.