Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
These days, freedom can seem just out of reach. Most of us spend the lion’s share of our minutes and our hours doing the things we need to do rather than the things we’d like to do. Jobs and chores and loved ones demand our attention. To step away and enjoy a time of true refreshment is a luxury that often feels just too pricey. And yet, the Bible describes the normal Christian life as one of glorious freedom.
To know Jesus is to have the Holy Spirit living inside. That means he is here with us all the time, whether we’re racing to check off the next item on our to-do list or crumbling into bed at night. So where is this freedom the Spirit is supposed to bring with him? Where is the relief we were promised?
True freedom, according to the Bible, goes far beyond having lots of choices and plenty of free time. It’s more than the pursuit of happiness or having money in the bank. The sweet freedom the Holy Spirit brings to us is the freedom to come home to ourselves, to be the people God created us to be.
Back in Eden, God created the first man and woman to be part of his family. Quite literally, they were made for him—to know him, love him, and be loved by him. In that, there was total and complete freedom. That’s not to say there wasn’t work to do (see Genesis 2:15). Rather, the freedom of Eden was peace and joy and a heart filled with worship.
When we lost paradise, we lost this freedom. No one has been able to live in true freedom since. No one except Jesus. He came to show us the freedom that was once our birthright. Not only that, he came to restore it (John 8:36). On the cross, he took the punishment for our sins so we could draw near to God. Then he gave us the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and minds so we can be people of Eden once again, people who look a lot like Jesus.
Through the Spirit at work in your life, you “are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). It’s happening one day at a time, little by little, so that you may know the freedom you were meant to walk in.
Father, tune my heart and mind to the promptings of your Spirit so I can experience the freedom I was made for.
This devotional is taken from The Sword and the Spirit: A 40-Day Morning and Evening Devotional, now available for pre-order.
Pages of Joy // John Greco 
Leave a comment