He Purchased Our Freedom

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Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

It’s an unfortunate reality that the culture in which we live defines some words differently than the Scriptures. One common example is the word freedom. 

For many, freedom is the ability for somebody to do whatever they’d like. Freedom of Speech is the freedom to say whatever you’d like to say. Freedom of the Press is the freedom for the news media to write and say things from a variety of perspectives. Freedom is essentially, a right. 

But this understanding of freedom is in stark contrast to the freedom mentioned through the New Testament. Here, freedom isn’t about the right to do something. Instead, it’s about what we’ve been freed from. Jesus purchased our freedom, setting us free from being slaves to sin.By doing so, we are also freed from an incessant need to prove ourselves to God. And as Celebrate Recovery rightly notes, we can now experience freedom from any & all hurts, habits, or hangups. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     COLOSSIANS 1:9-14, JOHN 8:36, GALATIANS 5:1  (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: Be honest: What thoughts usually come to mind when you think of the word “freedom?” 

DIGGING DEEPER: Jesus had the freedom to do a lot of things, but He consistently chose a different path – the path to surrender. In what ways may God be inviting you to surrender your cultural understanding of freedom? 

Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess that some of the first thoughts that come to my mind when I think of the word “freedom” are thoughts of what I am free to do and not thoughts about what I’ve been freed from. Help me to not conform to the behaviors of this world, but to experience the renewing of my mind by changing the way I think (Romans 12:2). In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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