As Zimbabwe celebrates its 44th independence anniversary, as Christians, let us think of what independence or freedom mean to us.
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Being an independent country means that no foreign power maintains any authority or control over the political or civil processes of its government or people. Another word for this type of state independence is sovereignty, or the right of a nation to chart its own future through self-determination.
As Christians living in an independent country, we often confuse the true nature of freedom. For many of us, the ability to make our own decisions and choose our own path in life, to do whatever we want, whenever we want is independence. But this is not the freedom in Christ that we have been given.
For many in the world, then, freedom is always from something, but for a Christian, freedom is always for something. The Christian, biblical understanding of freedom is the capacity, the ability, to obey God. Pairing freedom and obedience seems paradoxical to many in the world! What is the difference between spiritual freedom and worldly freedom?
While worldly freedom can be attained, spiritual freedom is unconditional. This freedom is not the absence of difficulty, but freedom despite difficulty.
What does the Bible say about freedom and liberty? “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners.” (Luke 4:18). The Bible goes on to say, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
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How do Christians have freedom? How do we find freedom from the penalty and power of sin? It comes through accepting Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross as the payment for our sin. As we submit to Christ, sin loses its power — Christ’s power takes over.
