“Now the Lord is the Spirit, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV
When thinking through what Freedom in Christ means to me, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I am no longer held in bondage by past mistakes or the sins I have committed. I, therefore, can take each thought captive in my mind and turn it into what God desires for me to think. I am free to read His Word to learn all about Jesus and all the people of the Bible. As I meet them, I find that they are messed up, just like me. They struggle with the same sins we see around us each and every day in this current world we live in. This is why the Bible is so relevant and timeless. No matter when you start reading and learning, no matter what year it is, it will reach you just where you are. It will provide the hope and encouragement you need to overcome the obstacles you are facing. Nothing or no one on this earth can provide the hope, encouragement, and life that living free for God can.
One of my greatest struggles is letting go of the past. When I let the past define me, I am held captive by it and I allow those negative thoughts to dictate how I act and feel today which ultimately, impacts who I am. I am learning through Bible studies and book studies to take each thought captive and let that all go. All of those negative thoughts are not what God wants me to think of ever again. When my mind starts to spiral downward, I am now able to stop it and fight against it. It is definitely a battle! It is definitely a choice! I choose to work on infusing my mind daily with the Truth from the Bible. This is the ammunition I use to completely stop the enemy from taking me down. My goal is to have scripture so interwoven in who I am that when the enemy tries to come in and take root, the word of God comes out instead!
Christ was sent to earth to live as a man and to show us what it means to live a life of service, humility, gratitude, and community. He provided training and support to all He encountered while He lived among men. As John 3:16 tells us, God gave his one and only son to die for our sins so that we can experience freedom on earth and then live everlasting upon our physical death. When we believe that this gift is through grace alone, that it is truly a FREE gift, we are infused with the Holy Spirit and this is amazingly powerful! We will have the Holy Spirit in us that is the same power as the Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. We are given this! It is the most unbelievable gift we could ever receive. This gift is Freedom in Christ: freedom from spiritual bondage and freedom to live the life that God plans for His followers.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
Ephesians 2:8 NIV
I look forward to helping encourage others fight their own battles towards freedom. We ALL have struggles. We can press on, let go of the past, strain forward to what lies ahead and run our race for Christ! We truly can be full of genuine peace and joy, and we can have genuine love towards those we are blessed to interact with during our lives on earth.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do works, which God
prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10 NIV
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let
yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Galatians 5:1 NIV
If you have any hesitation, or need to ask any questions about how to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please reach out to Abundant and Free Ministries to talk with someone who can lead you to eternal salvation. Freedom in Christ is the ultimate freedom that can never be taken away. It is a choice. Have you made your choice?
Jacquie grew up in Michigan, went to Michigan State University and worked as a Packaging Engineer for 12 years. She met her husband of 22 years in Appleton, WI while working for Kimberly-Clark. Together they have three children. She currently resides in Cape Girardeau, MO and works as a sixth grade science teacher in Jackson, MO. Jacquie is passionate about her faith, family, and teaching. She loves to run, read, travel, create, paint, and spend time with the people she loves. She is committed to knowing God as the source of life and she seeks to follow His prompting daily. Jacquie is also an encourager that loves to help others reach their goals.
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