Am I A Free Man?

CEBU, Philippines - Freedom has been one of the greatest cries and pursuits in world history. We see it down through the centuries from the American Revolution during the 18th century to Egypt’s recent protest that ended Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year reign.

But what exactly is it? Why do we long for it so bad and rejoice greatly when it arrives?

Freedom is defined as the state of not having or being affected by something unpleasant, painful, or unwanted.

You see, we live in a world of sorrow, injustice and abuse that freedom becomes uncertain or simply unattainable. We see people being deprived of food, liberty and education that one might begin to wonder if we will ever live to see a world without pain and suffering.

But there might be some who say, “Well, I live a pretty good life, all is well, no one dictates me, money is coming in and my career is doing well just as I’ve planned; so in a sense, freedom is not a pursuit but a reality to me.”

That may be a good reason, but you see, the basis of our freedom is not based on our own perception; it’s really based on how God views our lives. No matter what our status in life is, whether we’re rich or poor, slave or free; man is enslaved to something that has caused pain in this world.

It’s a three letter word called SIN.

Sin has enslaved people of all classes and races. It has destroyed so many lives, families and nations. You see, sin is not just about stealing money or killing someone; it’s ultimately about ignoring God in our attitude and action. It’s a failure to love God with our all and a failure to meet His holy standard of perfection.

Sin has become our master and we have become its slave. We see evidences of this in our society – there’s drug addiction, prostitution, pornography, alcoholism, adultery, materialism and so on. No matter how hard a person tries to change his ways, he can’t break his sinful habits and finds himself tied to sin’s slavery.

The Bible tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).” That means we have fallen short of God’s standard which is absolute perfection. And because of that we don’t only have a natural bent on evil but are also separated from God.

And since God is a righteous judge who cannot simply let the guilty go unpunished, sinners must be judged eternally in hell.

You see, you don’t have to be a prisoner or a slave to be deprived of freedom. If you’re stuck in a life that is inclined to love sin and self more than God, you’re a person in need of freedom.

So how can we break free from the slavery of sin and be saved from God’s judgment?

The good news of the Bible tells us that because God is both loving and just, He sent Jesus to live a perfect life for us to meet God’s standard of perfection. Jesus also willingly died as our substitute to pay for sin’s penalty which is death. He then rose from the grave on the third day to prove that He satisfied God’s holy standard and is our great Savior.

Why is that good news? It’s because you can experience this freedom now and forever.

You can obtain this freedom from sin’s grip and penalty by simply putting your trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You do this by acknowledging that you are a sinner incapable of saving yourself by your own good works and by trusting that what Jesus accomplished for your salvation is sufficient.

The way to freedom is for free! You don’t need a pass, a ticket or money to receive God’s gift of salvation. He offers it to you now. Will you accept it and be a free man? I hope you do and be a glad recipient of uncontainable joy as you walk on this road called freedom. (FREEMAN)