Freedom Under the Sun and Forevermore

Freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ. That’s the tagline, the mission, the heartbeat of Revive Our Hearts. We take it seriously. We believe that through the grace of God it really is possible. Can I tell you a story about it?

Back in the summer of 2022, I began interviewing for a job here at Revive Our Hearts. During that process, I shared my testimony—riddled with abuse, hidden family dysfunction, and the myriad ways those things work their way out in the life of a twenty-something woman. I’ll never forget what one member of the team asked me when I was finished. She looked me square in the eye and graciously questioned, “Do you feel like the Lord has given you freedom from that?” 

I stopped. It wasn’t the question itself that threw me; it was my answer: “Yes.” I remember being genuinely surprised that the word came out of my mouth and even more shocked that I wholeheartedly believed it. Somewhere along the way, the Lord had bound up my wounds and given me the freedom that I desperately wanted but for most of my life had believed was impossible. 

Maybe you know what it feels like to believe freedom will never happen in your life. Maybe the thing holding you captive is a hurt you’ve experienced, a sin that has sunk its teeth into you and won’t seem to loosen its grip, or circumstances that just won’t change. Maybe it’s the aftermath of decisions you’ve made or shame from something you’ve never uttered out loud. Whatever the case may be, if freedom feels far off today, let me encourage your heart with this truth: if you are in Christ, freedom is for you.

What Freedom Is Not

One of the reasons we believe the lie that we’ll never truly be free is because we’ve created a construct of freedom in our minds that isn’t biblical. Often, we expect our freedom this side of eternity to have the characteristics of the perfect freedom we will have one day when we see our Savior face-to-face. This overidealized view of freedom can paralyze us and make it seem unattainable, when in reality, Christ has already set us free—and He wants us to live in that freedom (Gal. 5:1). 

Here are a few things that freedom under the sun is not.

• Freedom is not the denial of pain or difficulty. Scripture never asks us to pretend that evil is not evil, that hard is not hard, and that painful things are not painful. The hallmark of a believer is not that they ignore or spiritualize away suffering, but that they have hope in its midst. Lament is biblical; so is hope. This is a dichotomy that we will hold with fumbling hands until the Lord takes us home, but it’s one we must hold nonetheless. In this world we will have trouble, yet we can take heart because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

If you believe you will never have freedom because your pain will never go away, here’s some good news—that isn’t a requirement. In Matthew 26, when He is praying in the garden, Jesus Himself says, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death.” He acknowledges His grief. He offers it up honestly to His Father. The very same things that we are called to do (Psalm 55:22, Matt. 11:28–30). 

• Freedom is not relief from all consequences of sin or suffering. Many a well-meaning believer has told a suffering brother or sister in Christ that if they would just pray a little more or believe a little harder that the consequences of sin and suffering would vanish. But it’s important to remember that while the Lord can and does bring radical relief, sometimes, in His infinite goodness and wisdom, He does not do so while we’re on earth. 

Consider the Apostle Paul. He pleaded with the Lord three times to remove his thorn in the flesh, but the Lord didn’t. Why? Because His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:8–10). Paul’s freedom in Christ was not found in the absence of suffering but in the sustaining grace of God within it.

On this side of heaven, we groan within, eagerly waiting for the redemption of our bodies, our minds, our hearts (Rom. 8:23). Our redemption is complete, but our restoration is not yet. We still live in a world that is sick with sin, and its consequences are many and far reaching. That means you can be free in Christ while still bearing the marks of sin and suffering. You can belong to Him wholly and still wrestle with weakness.

The Paradox of Christian Freedom

Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines freedom as “a state of exemption from the power or control of another.” In other words, freedom is the absence of outside forces that control you. For the believer, this is true in one sense—but in another, it falls short of the fuller, biblical picture.

Through the power of the gospel, we are no longer enslaved to sin, condemned by our past, or mastered by our circumstances. In Christ, these things no longer hold ultimate authority over us. They may wound us, but they do not own us. This means they no longer control our thoughts, actions, and attitudes, even though we may still feel their effects. In this sense, it’s true: freedom is, in part, about no longer being controlled.

But Christian freedom doesn’t mean living under no authority at all; it means gladly coming under a better one. It is the joyful submission of our lives to the gracious rule of our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, as we walk by His Spirit (Gal. 5:16). 

Here is the paradox of the Christian life: true freedom comes from being mastered by Christ. As Romans 6:22 reminds us, “But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification—and the outcome is eternal life!”

Freedom Under the Sun

So what does the freedom of being in Christ look like on this side of heaven?

• Freedom is belonging to Christ. Colossians 1:13 tells us that, “He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” Because we are beloved sons, there is no condemnation for us. We are set free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:1–2) and our identity is now firmly fixed as “in Christ,” not our sin, not our shame, not our suffering.

• Freedom is new power by the Spirit. The power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us (Rom. 8:11). That means we have power tosay no to sin, power to live as a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17), power to be strengthened in our inner being through His Spirit (Eph. 3:16).

• Freedom is ongoing deliverance. Each day the Lord is transforming us from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18). Each day He is renewing our mind and spirit (Rom. 12:2). Each day he is carrying on to completion the good work He started in us (Phil. 1:6).

• Freedom is being sustained by Christ. As we live in this broken world, we can take heart, knowing that we are free because the Lord is carrying our burdens and sustaining us (Psalm 55:22). He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together–even you (Col. 1:17).

Freedom Forevermore

If you are a believer, freedom is for you—here and now. On this side of eternity. But this freedom is just a foretaste of the full freedom that is to come when you see your Savior face-to-face.

Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” (Revelation 21:3–5)