“God’s Gift of Freedom”
By Dianne Prince
“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19, ESV).
When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, sin separated them and all of humanity from God because God cannot look upon sin. And without the shedding of blood, there can be no remission for sin. It grieved God that humanity was separated from Him. So, He put plans in motion for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem, live a sinless life on earth, walk the earth to show us how to live, and die for our sins so that we might be reconnected with God.
Before Jesus died at Calvary, the blood of lambs was offered as atonement for our sin. The sacrifice of their blood had to be repeated over and over again because man sinned over and over again. At Calvary, Jesus offered Himself as the perfect lamb, a once-for-all sacrifice. Through His shed blood, we are cleansed. We are forgiven. And we are set free. No matter how heavy our guilt, how unworthy we feel or how deep our shame is, Jesus’ sacrifice covers it all.
This Christmas, do not get distracted by the lights, the trees, and the shiny decorations. Do not let thoughts of not having enough, not being enough, or not being able to give enough occupy your mind. But reflect on Jesus, how deep God’s love is for you and how Jesus has set you free. Reflect on how He has forgiven you for those sins you committed in your youth that still plague you and reflect on how He gave everything to bring you back to God. And most of all, walk in the freedom His blood secured for you and share the freedom He has given you with those around you.
