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)
In America, we are told that we have certain unalienable rights endowed by our Creator. Far more importantly, Scripture says we have unique rights as Christians. For example, when we read that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1) we should recognize that we have the God-given right to be free from guilt. Likewise, when our Savior commands us, “do not worry about your life” (Matt 6:25), He is giving us the right to be free from all anxiety. It is because “In love” the Father “predestined us to be adopted as his sons” and daughters (Eph. 1:5), that every Christian has the legitimate right to feel extraordinarily special, significant, and valuable. All of us whom Christ “gave the right to become children of God” by purchasing us on the cross have been endowed with a virtual treasure chest of freedoms and rights that go far beyond what any mere American has claim to.
The tragedy is that there is an awful gap between the rights and freedoms that the children of God positionally have and the ones that they experientially enjoy. While slavery was abolished from America many years ago, it remains alive and well in the Kingdom of God. Far too many of God’s own children live with frequent feelings of fear, depression, hurt, worthlessness, and a whole horde of illegitimate masters whom they cower to because they think they have to and they always have. This should not be. The Father adopted us, the Son died for us, and the Spirit has indwelled us so that we can live “free indeed” (John 8:36).