Maybe you’ve heard that God wants to set you free from fear, anxiety, anger, hatred, addictions, lust, jealousy, unforgiveness, and whatever else is holding you captive. But you wonder, how does God set a person free? Today we’re going to look at what the Bible says about how you can find real freedom in Jesus.

In John 8:31-32, Jesus tells us how we can be free:

If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

In these verses, Jesus promises that there is a way for you to be free. And He tells you how to find that way. Jesus says that the truth from His Word, the Bible, will set you free as you choose to live it. Everything in the Bible is true because God is true and always speaks the truth. So as you read, study, and obey His Word, you’ll find His truth. And His truth will set you free.

Freedom vs Bondage

The Bible teaches us that when the first man, Adam, sinned, he made a choice to serve sin and evil instead of God and righteousness. Since then, we are born bound by sin. Each of us has sinned against God. We can try our whole lives to find freedom on our own, but we’ll never find it by ourselves or in man-made systems. Only God offers true freedom.

When Jesus, the Son of God, lived a perfect life, then died the death that we deserve and rose again, He broke the chains of sin and death. He crushed sin’s power and canceled the strength of death. He made a way of freedom for anyone who will believe in Him.

Romans 6 shows us that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ is set free from the bondage of sin and death and is able to live for God and choose to do what’s right. Now, because we are free in Jesus, we get to choose who we will live for. Romans 6:12-14 says,

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

These verses show us that as Christians, we can choose. We can either go back to the terrible tyranny of sin by doing what feels good in the moment and living for our passions. Or we can choose to live for God by yielding to Him and doing what He shows us to do. When we follow God, we’ll find that because He’s good and loving, His directions are always good for us in the long run. They bring inner peace and freedom. If we choose to live for God and serve him, we will be liberated from the bondage of sin and free in God’s grace.

Just a few verses later in Romans 6:16, the choice is highlighted:

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

This shows us that as created people, we are always going to serve something. We will either serve God and His righteousness or serve sin and evil. Every day, every hour, we must choose who we will serve. We pick freedom or bondage by the decisions we make. Choosing to obey God brings freedom. Choosing to follow anything else, even our own feelings and desires when they oppose God, will bring bondage, guilt, and shame.

False Freedom

There are all kinds of false ways to supposedly get freedom. These counterfeits promise wonderful things, but cause trouble in the end. They promise to set you free, but get you deeper into bondage to sin and misery.

The world around us says that the real road to freedom is getting rid of rules and restrictions and being in control. It says that if you don’t let anyone tell you what to do and follow whatever you feel like, you’ll be free. But that path doesn’t work. Instead, following your feelings is sure to get you into trouble and lead you even further from the freedom that you’re seeking.

There’s a very important Bible verse that helps us stay away from these traps. Proverbs 14:12 says,

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

This verse warns us that sometimes what feels good is the wrong path. Sometimes what we want to do or what seems easy will get us in trouble. Just because something feels right or we want to do it doesn’t mean that it is right. We have to be careful not to just follow our feelings when they disagree with God because they’ll bring suffering and eventually death.

You’ve seen this in your own life. Has there ever been a time you wanted to do something that you knew was wrong, but you did it anyway and it got you into trouble? It might have felt good for a little while to do the wrong thing, but the consequences were terrible. Even if something seems hard to say no to in the moment, avoiding sin is always worth it.

Throwing off the rules and restraints that God gives only makes you vulnerable to sin and darkness. God’s instructions are the path to freedom because they show you how to live in a way that brings blessing and true peace. It is by obeying God that you will find real freedom. The world’s lies promise freedom but actually rob us of the only way to get it. Only God’s way leads to the results that we want.

True Freedom

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus invites each of us. He says,

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

In these verses, Jesus is telling us that freedom doesn’t come from forging our own path or following the world. True freedom is found in coming to Jesus, obeying His Word, and living for Him. If you come to Jesus and live as He shows you, you will find peace in your heart and mind, rest for your soul, and true freedom now and for eternity.

If you want to be free, the first step is coming to Jesus for salvation. The Bible shows us that we are all going to die. And after we die, we will face God. Because we’ve all sinned, none of us can go to heaven on our own. We will have to die and suffer forever. But Jesus died for us and rose again to offer us life that never ends.

Anyone who admits their sins, believes that Jesus died and rose again for them, and asks Him to save them is forgiven and set free. When a person who has come to Jesus this way dies and stands before God, God will see what Jesus did in their place and gladly let them into heaven forever.

If you’ve never believed in Jesus and asked Him to save you, won’t you do that today? You don’t have to do anything fancy. Just talk to Him about it and ask Him to save you and set you free. No matter who you are or what you’ve done, He promises that He will forgive and set you free. If you ask, you will have real freedom in Jesus.

Living Free

Once you have believed in Jesus, He sets you free to choose to do right. As we saw earlier in Romans 6, now you have to make the choice to live in that freedom.

Galatians 5:13 gives us a helpful warning and instruction when it says,

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

This shows us that our freedom as children of God isn’t so that we can do the wrong thing. It’s so that we can find the joy and freedom of doing the right thing for the right reason – to please God.

Just a few verses later in Galatians 6:7-9,

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

These verses show us that the choices we make impact our lives. Just like if you plant a tomato seed, you’ll get a tomato plant. In life, you’ll get the results of the things you do. If you do wrong, you’re going to face the consequences of doing wrong. But if you do right to please the Lord, you’re going to get the results of doing right.

We don’t always see these results right away. Sometimes you’ll see people doing wrong and everything seems okay for them for a while. But you can be sure they’ll pay for it eventually. Sometimes too, you’ll have pain and loss for a while, even when you do the right thing. Jesus always did the right thing, and He still suffered.

But when you worship God and do the right thing, you’ll always be right with God and know His peace, power, and presence even in the hard times. God will bless you for it in this life. And in eternity, He’ll reward you for it forever. So don’t give up. Serving the Lord is always worth it.

Getting Free Again

Perhaps you’re wondering what you should do if you’ve done the wrong thing and gotten bound up in sin again.

God gives the answer for that, too, in the Bible. 1 John 1:9 says,

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

This verse tells us what to do if we sin after God has set us free. It tells us to confess our sin to God to be forgiven. Confessing means saying the same thing about it that God does. So confessing our sin to God means admitting what we’ve done and agreeing with Him that it’s wrong.

When we confess our sin to Him, God says that He forgives us. He wipes away the record of that sin and doesn’t hold it against us anymore. It doesn’t mean that He takes away all the consequences, but it does mean that we’re free from sin’s power and that sin is no longer standing in the way of the relationship between you and God.

So if you find that you’ve wandered away from God and done the wrong thing. If you’re back in bondage to sin again, ask for God’s help. Agree with Him that you’ve done the wrong thing and receive His forgiveness so that you can live in His freedom again. Don’t give up. Get back up again and walk with God as a person who is really and truly free – because you are.

Making It Real

Are you ready to find true freedom in Jesus today? If you haven’t believed in Jesus and asked Him to save you, today is your day. Come to Him now and be free.

If you have believed in Jesus, then you are free. You make the choice every day, though, whether you will live in that freedom or in sin’s bondage.

3 Ways to Start Living Free This Week

Here are three things you can do this week to live free in Jesus:

1. Don’t just do whatever feels good in the moment, do what you know God says is right because it will bring freedom

2. When you realized you’ve done the wrong thing, confess it to God and receive His forgiveness so you can walk in freedom again

3. Don’t give up – you might not get the results you want right away, but they’ll come in time if you stick with it

Devotional Poem

Here’s a poem I recently wrote about finding real freedom in Jesus:

Searching for Freedom

You’ve searched the world for freedom
But find you’re still not free;
The prize seems so elusive –
What secret could there be?

You’ve broken rules aplenty,
Thrown caution to the wind,
Indulged your inner passions,
Rebelled and often sinned.

But still the satisfaction
You’ve sought for all this time
Is missing till you wonder,
What’s left to try or climb?

Perhaps your definition
Is leading you astray
In all the wrong directions
That never seem to pay.

True freedom comes from knowing
The One who made your soul,
Who loves you and designed you
And sees you as a whole.

In yielding to His guidance
There’s freedom bright and true
And lasting satisfaction
Where nothing else will do.

We’re not our own creators,
Can’t set the bigger rules;
Ignoring God’s instructions
Will only make us fools.

He says we’re always serving
The flesh or Christ the Lord –
The one brings death and bondage,
The other great reward.

Christ breaks the chains that bind us
And sets His people free
To find the path of freedom
That earthly eyes can’t see.

His law of love brings freedom,
His yoke makes labor light,
His warnings and directions
Will lead to true delight.

It seems a contradiction,
But that’s the only way
To really find true freedom
That satisfies today.

You’re free to choose your pathway
But not the end it brings,
So choose the path of freedom
Where all you’ve sought begins.

Christina Joy Hommes

I hope you’ll keep choosing to walk in God’s freedom every day this week. When you fall, turn back to Him, get back up, and with His help, walk in freedom again. May He bless you as you do that.