Thank God You Are Free

“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.” (Romans 6:17, NKJV)

People fight for freedom… In our present society, slavery is a violation of human rights. Slavery, forced labor, and human trafficking are violations of human rights because these actions strip human beings of their inherent rights – the right to live free. 

History repeats itself. Many people sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom. Our country stands and supports that modern slavery has no place in our world. If that is today’s worldview of slavery, have you ever thought about it from a spiritual standpoint? Did you know that from the day Adam fell into sin, all humanity has become a slave to sin? Just like literal slavery, it subjects or forces a person to do or follow what the fleshly desire dictates, whether one likes it or not. In short, the whole world is spiritually enslaved by sin.

Many people are not aware that they are slaves to sin – but God’s Word reveals this very truth. It is not God’s desire for humankind to be a slave of sin. He loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16) – Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself for the sake of our freedom. As Jesus said, “whoever the Son sets free, he is free indeed” (John 8:36). 

Thanks be to God! What a marvelous truth – the grace of God has set us free! Through Jesus Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin – the Holy Spirit empowers us to do what we cannot do on our own, which is obedience to the will of God. The God-given freedom is such a great reason to celebrate and give God praise!

– Contributed by Ptr Neil Marlon Crisostomo