Galatians 5:1
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free…”
The biblical definition of liberty is freedom from the bondage of sin, death, and the law — freedom granted through faith in Jesus Christ. It is God‑given power to live in holiness.
Not our power.
His.
The law required death as the penalty for sin. But Jesus paid that penalty in full through His surrender and death on the cross. Because of Him, we are free to let Christ live His life in us. This is part of God’s plan to restore us to Himself.
We are saved and have been set free, yet many of us still live as if we are enslaved — to sin, to self, to the willful will, to unconscious patterns, and to the fear of death.
True freedom can only be found when we surrender ourselves fully to Christ, who now lives within us as the Holy Spirit. When we submit ourselves as a living sacrifice — surrendering our control and our will — Christ gains full authority to free us from bondage. In surrender, we accept Him fully and give Him full authority over our lives.
We may know the right standard of how to live righteously, but we do not have the ability to meet those standards. We may know what holiness is, but we cannot obtain it ourselves. Our sin nature is void of all power to do what pleases Yahweh, the Eternal God.
We have liberty in Christ who lives within us. Christ promises to deliver us from the diminished ability to perceive truth, from the oppression of sinful desires, and from the enslavement of the will. He also promises holiness — the will and the ability to do what is right and good in the eyes of God.
I was saved at the age of nine, yet I was never able to deliver myself from the oppression of sin or the enslavement of the will. I never saw truth unless God revealed it. I never possessed holiness by my own effort. I may have wanted to do what was right, but I was a sinner through and through. Yet Christ lived within me from the age of nine until now. So what is this all about? How do we receive liberty in fullness?
The Holy Spirit living in a person gives liberty — but liberty in fullness is only achieved by receiving the Holy Spirit in fullness. Only the Holy Spirit produces the life of Christ in us.
We cannot make this happen by effort.
We cannot stop sinning by willpower.
We cannot change ourselves enough to please God.
We cannot produce holiness.
We cannot obtain full liberty — release from moral and spiritual bondage — until we release what we are holding so tightly: our way, our control, our stubborn will.
Full liberty is only possible with a renewal of the condition of the soul. It cannot exist apart from holiness. The Holy Spirit alone destroys the power of sin and quickens us to live in alignment with God's holy character by putting a new life in our soul.
If we do not release control of our will and our life to Christ, how can He possibly come into the fullness of His power within us? He cannot. He will not take our free will from us. We must want to give it to Him. We must determine to lay down our will at the foot of His throne — we lose our life to gain His life within us.
We receive freedom when the Holy Spirit lives inside us. But He has not established a life of full power within us when He is pushed aside while we cater to our will, our self, and our sin. If we do not give Him authority, He does not have it. He will not force us to release control of our will. He waits for us to release it so He may bring us into the fullness of His promises.
I never understood this. I never knew I needed to surrender my will. I thought being saved was enough and He would come and do all these things automatically. But it does not work that way. Because of free will, He comes in — but He cannot complete His works until the will bows. That is why the Bible speaks of the war between His Spirit and our spirit. Until we align with Him completely, this war will continue.
For some people, the will may be surrendered at salvation — but I believe it is rare.
The good news is this: once we surrender our control and our will to Him intentionally, He comes into His full power within us and releases us from the bondage of sin, self, and the willful will. We are still ourselves — but a better version of ourselves. He works His own nature into us. We are no longer slaves to sin. Self no longer dictates our reactions. And the will begins to love Jesus more with each passing day.
Jesus lives in me, and I have finally given Him authority to take care of the sin, self, and will that ravaged my life. My old life is not coming back. I have a new life in Christ. Liberty in Christ is yours. Relief from worry and joy in living can be yours. I am living proof.
Believe in the One who holds the power of life and death in His hands. Come to Him in surrender and enjoy the liberty that comes from knowing the Holy Spirit is working the very nature of Jesus into your soul — with the control and authority of Christ — enabling you to do what is right.
Selah
~ Quil
BREATH PRAYER
Jesus, take my will… and give me Your liberty.
PRAYER
Lord,
You are the One who sets the captives free.
Take my will, my control, my self‑life, and bring them under Your authority.
Fill me with the fullness of Your Spirit so that Your life may be lived in me.
Break every chain that binds me, and lead me into the freedom You purchased with Your own blood.
I stand fast in the liberty by which You have made me free.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Share God with someone today: The Quill and Me—A Devotional Blog...
Visit the Free PDF Resource Library on this blog. Enjoy ~ Quil
•
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Liberty, Freedom, and Christ’s Authority
Galatians 5:1 — Stand fast in the liberty Christ has given
John 8:36 — If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed
Romans 6:6–7 — Freed from slavery to sin
The Holy Spirit’s Work in Liberty
2 Corinthians 3:17 — Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty
Ezekiel 36:26–27 — A new heart and a new spirit
Romans 8:2 — The law of the Spirit of life has set you free
The War Between Flesh and Spirit
Galatians 5:17 — The flesh wars against the Spirit
Romans 7:18–25 — The struggle of the will
Surrender and the Will
Luke 22:42 — Not My will but Yours
Romans 12:1 — Present your bodies as a living sacrifice
James 4:7 — Submit yourselves to God
Revelation and Spiritual Understanding
1 Corinthians 2:9–12 — The Spirit reveals spiritual truth
John 16:13 — The Spirit guides into all truth
Comments
Post a Comment