3 Surprising Truths About Freedom in Christ

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive a gift: freedom in Christ. Before Christ, we were slaves to sin. We were held under the deception of the evil one and were no more capable of freeing ourselves from his power than a newborn baby is able to escape from their crib.

What Does it Mean to Have Freedom in Christ?

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As you would imagine, the Bible has a lot to say about freedom in Christ. Maybe you’ve been told many times that you are free in Jesus, but unless you spend some time grappling with this concept, it may be hard to understand what that means.

To be free in Christ means we have been saved from the penalty of sin and have the hope of eternal life. It means that while we’re waiting for Christ’s Second coming, we get to be witnesses for Him here on earth. But there are a few things we should understand about freedom in Christ.

1. The gift, though freely given, can be lost through our actions. We receive the gift of freedom through Christ but it doesn’t mean it can’t be lost or taken. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul exhorted the believers to stand firm in their belief and to refuse to subject themselves to the bondage that others were trying to subject them to.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1 ESV).

As Christians, we have to know what we believe and stand firm in that belief so that we won’t be swayed by itchy-ears teachings. The only way to do that is to study the Bible for ourselves. We don’t have to be great scholars to study God’s Word. We have the Holy Spirit and He’s a great teacher.

2. Freedom in Christ means choosing a new Master. A lot of people think being free means you get to do anything you want. But freedom without order leads to chaos.

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life (Romans 6:22 ESV).

When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we’re no longer slaves to sin. We become instead, servants of Christ. As Paul puts it, the one you’re a slave to is the one you will obey. And who would you rather have as master: the One who gave His life for you? Or the one who wants to see you destroyed?

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3. Freedom in Christ comes with a responsibility to others. As we learn to be a witness of our Heavenly Father, it’s important that we remember that the freedom we have been given means we have a responsibility to love our neighbors as ourselves.

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another (Galatians 5:13 ESV).

The name of Christ should never be used as an excuse to treat others poorly or to disobey the ruling authority (1 Peter 2:13-18). It should instead be used as a platform to show love to others.

How do you experience freedom in Christ?

I must tell you that freedom is a state of mind. Many persons have been free but have felt enslaved and many slaves have been made to feel free. I promise I’m not being philosophical.

Christ offers us freedom. Freedom from sin. Freedom from the pressures and cares of the world. Freedom from the penalty of death. But too often, we’ve gotten so used to living as slaves that we never choose to accept the freedom Christ offers.

We may claim it with our lips but our lives tell a different story. To experience freedom in Christ, we must choose it.

We must choose to begin each day as if we really believe that our confessed sins have been forgiven.

We must choose to live each day as if we are complete in Jesus. Oh, it won’t always be easy, I dare say most days it will be a great challenge. But we owe it to the sacrificial blood of Christ to live as if we believe that when Christ died for us He did something no one else could have accomplished.

These truths became really clear to me as I read To Save A King by Rachel Hauck. Gemma had a huge secret in her past. One that she tried to hide from and mortally afraid her family and friends would find out. But all big secrets must come out (especially in a novel) and it did so in a spectacular way.

It was not until Gemma accepted the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit and allowed it to work in her life that she felt really free. She thought freedom was successfully burying her shame. She had to learn only the freedom she received through Christ could release her.

To Save A King Review

Gemma had been hurt and was no longer looking for Prince Charming. She just wanted to be left alone to take care of her barn full of animals and raise her adoptive daughter. But fate has another plan.

To Save A King continues the swoon-worthy royal romance True Blue series with the future king, Prince John. Prince John had lost his beloved wife and was in mourning but in order to be crowned king, he needed a wife. Can a man who’s still mourning his wife put aside his grief for the crown? Does he even want to?

I love that these two characters were wounded soul who were drawn to each other and found comfort. John and Gemma’s friendship was cemented over a common concern for animals and the experience of deep wounds.

I would have liked to see more of the romance played out in the book, but there were so many things going on that honestly I didn’t notice how the romance had been downplayed until I I writing this review (which just shows what a great story it was).

I loved the community that was depicted in To Save A King. The people in Hearts Bend and Lauchtenland rallied around those they loved (yes, there were a few disagreeable persons, but people were decent for the most part).

If you’ve read any of Rachel Hauck’s books, you may recognize a few characters and props which added to the small town, community feel of To Save A King.

Know God: at the beginning of To Save A King, it didn’t seem as if John had a relationship with God. He tried to act morally and nobly, but he didn’t know God. He eventually came to recognize that God had always been a part of his story, weaving the pieces together to make a beautiful tapestry.

Gemma, on the other hand, seemed to have had a Christian upbringing but drifted away from God because of certain choices she had made.

Both characters has to learn who God was and acknowledge His place in their lives because they could fulfill their destiny and grasp the love that was just out of reach.

I would have liked to see more of John’s conversation story in the book but liked that in the end, he chose God’s will over his mom’s or the people of Lauchtenland.

Like John and Gemma we will never step into our purpose until we give God the proper place in our lives.

Know yourself: for most of the book, John had a pretty good idea of who he was and what he was supposed to do with his life. But, after his wife died, he lost his way a bit. He had to find himself again so he could start moving towards his destiny.

Gemma struggled a bit with her identity during the period she tried to build her acting career. As a result, she did things she wasn’t proud of which caused soul-deep shame. Because of her shame, she had to fight her way back to who she was in Christ.

Run your race: one of the things Gemma had to embrace was her princess identity. She could only see her shame for a long time. But when she put off her shame, she truly embraced her identity and set her mind to run the race before her (even though it didn’t look like she initially thought it would). In order for her to embrace her royal identity, she had to accept that she had been freed from the shame of her past through Christ.

Readers will be reminded that God makes all things new and can redeem even your deepest shame and use you for His glory. I received an advanced reader’s copy from the publishers through Celebrate Lit; a positive review was not required.

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About To Save A King

To Save A King is book 2 in the True Blue Royal series. While it can be read alone, there are storylines and themes that started in To Love A Prince. I received an advanced reader’s copy from the publishers through Celebrate Lit; a positive review was not required.

A modern-day fairy tale of hope and rescue from NYT bestselling author Rachel Hauck

After growing up in small-town Hearts Bend, Tennessee, Gemma Stone set off to Hollywood to make her mark in the world.

But her ambition turned into a journey of a “thousand” bad decisions and after twelve years of seeking fame and fortune, Gemma returns home with a limp and a dark secret.

Now she runs a rescue ranch and is raising her friends’ orphaned daughter. She’s keenly aware these defenseless ones are also rescuing her. She just wants to stay hidden in the safe world she’s created.

HRH Crown Prince John has learned a royal title cannot shield him from heartbreak. As heir to the revered House of Blue and married to the love of his life, he believed his future reign would strengthen the royal dynasty of Lauchtenland. Then tragedy changed everything. Can anything save him from his grief?

When he travels to Hearts Bend on a mission for his mother, Queen Catherine, he’s drawn into the local life and cajoled into a three-legged race with the beautiful Gemma Stone during the 4th of July festivities.

While the event has a disastrous result, Prince John and Gemma form a quick friendship—one of two wounded souls finding comfort in one other. However, love is absolutely not an option. John desperately wants to hold onto the memories of his wife, and Gemma refuses to trust her heart to any man. Even a prince.

Then Prince John is called home for an emergency. How can he leave the woman who lifted him from his sorrows? But can Gemma join him on a royal stage and risk her secret coming to light?

With a touch of divine help, Prince John and Gemma just might find the kind of love that saves and ultimately write their very own fairy tale.

About Rachel Hauck

Rachel Hauck is an award winning, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

She is a double RITA finalist, and a Christy and Carol Award Winner. Her book, Once Upon A Prince, first in the Royal Wedding Series, was filmed for an Original Hallmark movie. Three more of her titles are under film contract.

Rachel was awarded the prestigious Career Achievement Award for her body of original work by Romantic Times Book Reviews.

A retired member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Executive Board, she teaches workshops and leads worship at the annual conference. She is a past Mentor of The Year.

In the real world, she’s a wife, writer, worship leader and works out at the gym semi-enthusiastically.

A graduate of Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) with a degree in Journalism, she’s a former sorority girl and a devoted Ohio State football fan. Her bucket list is to stand on the sidelines with Ryan Day.

She lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery cat. Visit her at www.rachelhauck.com or www.facebook.com/rachelhauck