A Deeper Meaning of Freedom from Sin
“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” (Romans 6:6).
For us to understand freedom from sin we must first define sin. Then we must understand God’s plan. This is how we can know the freedom God gave us and what God requires of us. If there is freedom in Christ it is more than what we think and comes with a cost – rejection.
The Definition of Sin
Murder. Theft. Adultery. Lying. Idolatry. These are examples of sins, which are the common understanding of sin. However, these are not the definition of sin. Sin is simply disobedience towards God. Original sin by Adam and Eve was disobedience toward God’s command to not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:15-17). We all know eating is not a sin. It is disobedience toward God that is sin. To God, loving God means being obedient (John 14:15) and for Adam and Eve it was simply not eating from a specific tree.
It’s about God, not Us
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17).
Everything God did in the Old Testament was a set up for what God would do through Jesus. The Israelites were disappointed and unable to understand what God did. However, God’s plan was to create a world that was for his pleasure not for our pleasure. God created us to take part in his creation and to enjoy it. However, we sinned and deserved death. God saved us through Jesus’ actions on the cross. God loves us, but everything God does is for himself. Very simply, it is not about us. This is a truth all believers must be willing to accept.
Freedom in Christ
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Believers must become “new” persons entirely (for example in mind, heart, flesh, and daily living). Many think we are only free from examples of sins. However, we must consider original sin, which is disobedience towards God. Believers must examine all aspects of their life to see if it aligns with God’s plan, purpose, and commands. If sin is disobedience to God and God has called us to love God and others, then we must deeply examine our lives to see what is causing us to be disobedient. Especially, in areas of our lives that we do not consider sin.
For example, many people keep cultural practices after becoming believers. These cultural practices can be forms of bondage or sin because the practices tell us who to love, making our love for others conditional. Basically, if someone falls short of cultural expectations, they fall short of receiving love. Freedom in Christ is being free from such cultural practices. We must remember that all have sinned and deserve of death, but God loved us and saved us (Romans 6:23). If God loved us even though we sinned, then we must do the same for others. God shows us that we are free from these sorts of practices that would prevent us from living as God has called us to live. Believers must stop practices that violate God’s command to love others unconditionally.
The Cost
We understand the forgiveness of examples of sins and making the God of the Bible our God, but we leave out other areas of our lives we do not consider sin (such as cultural practices example in the previous paragraph). A barrier for many people becoming completely new creations/persons is rejection by the people they love most. Rejection is evident in the lives of the twelve disciples and the Apostle Paul who were persecuted and some even killed for their belief in Jesus as the Messiah. We must understand that the disciples went against the beliefs and traditions of their time when they decided to follow Jesus. Without going into too much detail–imagine going against your culture’s entire way of life that is rooted in over 40 generations. That is a very tough decision to make. They had to be completely convinced to follow Jesus. This is not saying to a rebel without a cause for religion or other purposes, but that true belief in Jesus requires this type of examination, conviction, and willingness to change. You must be willing to choose God’s way of living over the life you know—no matter how old your traditions, how close the people in your life, and how much you will lose from your current life.
This is made very clear in Matthew 10:34 - 39: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”
Again–to be clear the message is not to be rebellious against your parents, family, or society, etc. It is that believers must examine their lives to ensure it aligns with God’s desires and that the cost to follow God may be rejection from those closest to you. I believe this to be a part of the Good News of the Gospel. We are freed from all of our former life to live a life as God desires us to live.
Example
In the Hmong culture (a Lao ethnic group) it is custom that when a woman marries, she belongs to the husband’s family. However, she is unable to return to her family even if her husband passes or in the event of a divorce. She cannot go and live with her siblings, family, or friends even if that is her preference. This mainly applies if it is a traditional Hmong marriage. This is still common practice even amongst Hmong Christians. Many people will not break the practice because they do not want to lose face or be ostracized from their Hmong community—hence placing their acceptance by family and others, over God’s. Everyone is tied to this practice from the woman, her family, husband’s family, and even extended family. This practice to me is clearly a form of bondage or sin because it places the tradition over people. God has freed us from these types of traditions. God makes it clear that the laws of the Old Testament were never about the laws themselves but about loving God and others. We are free not just from examples of sin such as lust, theft, and idolatry but from the cultural or societal practices that contradict God’s commands to love Him and to love others.
Summary
Freedom from sin is more than we think and comes at a cost. We know that sin is not a specific act but mere disobedience towards God. Although God did everything for himself, he allowed us to be a part of his plans. Even though we sinned and deserved death God loved us unconditionally and commands that we love him and others as he loved us. God saved us from eternal separation from him by Jesus’ death and resurrection. Following God is not an easy life and may come at a cost—rejection from the world—more specifically those we love most. Freedom from sin is freedom from the things in our lives that prevent us from carrying out God’s command. This is the deeper meaning of Freedom from Sin—because we have been made new we are free from the practices that make our love for others conditional. The lives of the twelve disciples and the apostle Paul are the perfect examples of following Jesus and the cost to follow Jesus. This is also the reality of the Good News every believer must accept if they are to follow Christ since it will not be an easy life.
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:37-38.
“Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:49-50.
