Psalm 116-117

“O LORD, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds.” (Psalm 116:16, NKJV)

Let’s consider the subject of freedom. Freedom is highly treasured in our culture. We pride ourselves in being the land of the free and the brave. Our nation was born by declaring our independence, and the slogan of the American Revolution was, “Don’t tread on me.” Even today, Americans resent anyone telling them what to do. But there is a “freedom” that leads to slavery. If we feel free to do whatever we want, then it can easily lead to sin. We feel that we don’t have to give an account to anybody for what we say or do. We are “free” to make our choices, not realizing that our “freedom” is bringing us into bondage to the worst kind of slavery.

It is true that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free (Galatians 5:1). If the Son makes us free, then we are free indeed (John 8:36). But the freedom Christ offers us is freedom from sin. It is not a license to do whatever we want but liberty to serve God and others and to be free from selfishness. The greatest freedom anyone can have is to be a servant of the LORD because He brings us into the joy and peace of eternal life, whereas the so-called freedom that is self-serving leads to death and separation from God and others.

When we choose to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, then He loosens our bonds of sin. He also loosens our bonds of slavishly serving the law. Instead, He frees us to serve God and others in the new and living way of love.

“But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.” (Romans 7:6, NLT)

Let us give God thanks for the marvelous freedom we have in Christ! And then humbly ask Him, “How can I serve you in love today?”