Riff's Christian Journal

On July 4, 1776, a country, consisting of thirteen states, began the task of becoming a free and sovereign Nation after declaring its independence. It happened because men wanted to be free and were willing to fight for that freedom. They did and the United States was born.

Ever since time began, man has wanted freedom and to get that freedom he was willing to do whatever it took to secure that freedom. Was there a time when man did not know there was a freedom that he needed; one to which his own self-righteousness made him blind? The answer is yes.

Since man sinned in the Garden of Eden, and fell from grace with God, he has needed to be set free from being a slave to his own sin and self-righteousness. In Romans, we read the following:

Rom 6:20 For when you were the slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness.

Therein is the problem. As slaves to sin, we know it not, and since we do not know we need to be set free from this enslavement, we do not seek this freedom. We trust in our own self-righteousness not knowing that we have none of our own. That is where Jesus comes in.

In the Gospel of John Jesus tells us this:

Joh 8:34  Jesus answered them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever commits sin is the slave of sin.”

Not only does He tell us our problem but He also gives us the answer as to how we are set free from being slaves to sin. Especially since we do not know, we are such slaves. Only Jesus can set us free.

Joh 8:36 Jesus says, “ If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

Freedom from sin comes not from our own will to be free. No, it comes from the desire and will of Jesus to set us free, and all those whom the Father draws to Him will be set free and saved from our own self-righteousness (sin’s slavery).

Only until Jesus sets us free we will ever know the truth of our sins enslavement.

Man loves his freedom, but this is one freedom, being a slave to sin, about which man knows nothing. Thank God, that Jesus knows and that in Him only, will we be set free.

The question that you now face is this. Have you been set free from being a slave to sin, from your own self-righteousness?

Whoever will confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart that God has raised Him from the dead will have been set free by the Son of God, and they will know that they are free indeed.