There are those who continue to suffer because they believe that they have not been fully set free from the penalty of their sins. They hold the misconception that they have committed sins too grievous to be forgiven. As a result, they continue to live in condemnation. However, the apostle Paul could not be more emphatic when he said, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:1-2). The truth that the apostle Paul wanted us to understand was that Jesus had already paid the penalty for our sins—no matter how serious they are—when he died on the cross.
To further emphasize the freedom that believers received in Christ, the apostle Paul said, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love” (Gal. 5:13). The only time we will ever feel condemned again is when we burden ourselves with the yoke of slavery—when we indulge the sinful nature. Even the Lord Jesus said, “Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:35-36). But what does it mean to be set free from condemnation?
Forgiven of sin. When we ask for forgiveness, the Lord forgives us fully. In fact, we are told that the Lord does not keep a record of sins because he is loving. The Psalmist said, “If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore, you are feared” (Psalm 130:3-4). The love of God was fully manifested when he sent Jesus to die for our sins. The blood he shed on the cross was meant to wash away our sins and guilty consciences. The Book of Hebrews says, “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Heb. 9:14).
Rescued from the curse of sin. We could have a horrible past and find ourselves feeling hopeless, but the good news is that God sent Jesus to rescue us from our dark past. The apostle Paul appropriately said, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14). We may have lived a “cursed” life right up until we met Jesus, but now that we are born again and living a new life in him, we have been freed from the power of the curse. It is now behind us. The apostle Paul clearly said, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree’” (Gal. 3:13).
Emancipated from sin. Sin is a ruthless taskmaster. Everyone under it suffers, and unless they are freed from its clutches, death is inevitable. The apostle Paul said, “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” (Gal. 5:1). Because the powerful blood of Jesus covers believers, sin has no more power over them. Believers are no longer under the control of sin. They have been freed and now live in freedom. Again, the apostle Paul said, “But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness” (Rom. 6:17-18).
Empowered by the Holy Spirit to be overcomers. Unless we enlist the help of the Holy Spirit, we will be unable to overcome the power of sin. The apostle Paul gave very reassuring words when he said, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17). Therefore, the apostle Paul also said, “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law” (Gal. 5:16-18). Indeed, we can only overcome this spiritual “tug of war” when we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah!
