Ephesians 1:6-8

 In Ephesians 1:7,  Paul gives a one sentence synopsis of the gospel. Let’s read it below.

“Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re free people-free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all of our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free!” (The Message)

Freedom can mean a lot of different things. Generally it means to no longer be trapped or enslaved by something. To be free is to no longer be obligated to be under the control of another, or to follow their mandates. But freedom is not easily won. It comes with a price. 

The United States of America is known as the land of the free. The freedom of our country came at a price. Blood was spilled. On July 4, 1776, a group of men signed a proclamation declaring that the Thirteen Colonies would no longer be under British rule. They declared their independence, and listed their complaints against Great Britain and King George III. We call this document the Declaration of Independence. Were they really free though? No, their freedom wouldn’t come until the colonies had won the American Revolution in September of 1783. They created their own government and acted as if they were free but had England won the war we wouldn’t have been a free country.

Sometimes this is how we live our Christian lives only in reverse. We say we are free because Jesus shed His blood on the cross but we don’t live as if we are free. Our founding fathers hadn’t obtained their freedom yet but they governed the colonies as if they were already free. Jesus has already purchased our freedom yet we can live like we are still under the law of sin. However, we are abundantly free! Blood has been shed, the price has been paid for our freedom. God has lavished us in freedom. The problem is that things that have been born and have lived in captivity don’t know how to be free. They can’t thrive as long as they have the mindset of a slave. This is why we are to have the mind of Christ. Romans 8:6 says, “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” (New Living Translation) If we don’t continually set our focus on Him, we will continue to have the mindset of a slave. 

This leads us to Ephesians 1:8 which says, “He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.” (New Living Translation) God knew that we would need the mind of Christ in order to live out the freedom that He purchased for us. So, He has given us His Spirit along with all wisdom and understanding. He doesn’t hold anything back. He gives us the wisdom to live abundantly free. The problem is that a lot of us go through our week and the only time we open our Bible is on Sunday morning. We will never develop the mind of Christ if we aren’t studying His word. It takes consistently spending time with Him to learn to think like He does. One of the spiritual disciplines that has impacted my life the most is the habit of rising early to spend time with Him. Yes, it can be hard. Yes, it would be easier to sleep late some days. But it would be even harder to try to live without hiding His words in my heart. He has showered us with His kindness, and all wisdom and understanding. We just need to learn to live in the freedom He has graciously given us. 

Truth to Remember:

Through Jesus, God has purchased our freedom. We no longer have to live as a slave to sin. Instead, we are to lean into the wisdom He has given us so that we can develop the mind of Christ.