How Would You Live If You Were Assured Of Freedom In Christ?
If your soul were utterly assured of the freedom you have in Christ, you would find yourself far more willing and desirous to…
Forget what lies behind and press forward to what lies ahead (Phil. 3:13).
Lie down and sleep while trusting the Lord to keep you (Ps. 3).
Trust His decree to sovereignly provide and turn whatsoever sin or suffering into your good (Rom. 8:28).
Embrace the peace with God which leads to peace of God (Rom. 5:1; Phil. 4:7).
Readily think about that which is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Phil. 4:8).
Boldly approach the throne of grace knowing God’s smile (Num. 6:24-26; Heb. 4:15-16).
Love the brothers and sisters of the covenant community rather than obsessing over one’s own performance (1 John 4:7-8,10,18).
Loving our enemies even in the face of great sin (Matt. 5:44).
Dive deeply into the delightful study of God with the freedom to delight solely in Him above all (Ps. 111).
Get out of your own plaguing thoughts in order to mortify actual sin and vivify the godliness that we have in Christ (Rom. 8:5-13).
Praise God knowing that His grace in Christ is enough (2 Sam. 12:22-23).
Walk forward in boldness knowing that all your sin is forgiven and that God will provide for you in body and soul in all circumstances (Gen. 32:22-33:3).
Hate sin more passionately without falling into despair and condemnation (Rom. 8:1; 12:9).
(For Pastors) Dedicate yourself to prayer and preaching rather than spreading yourself far too thin because of being fueled by the false idea that you must prove yourself to God (Acts 6:2-4).
Love God’s Law and strive to obey it all in freedom and love (Ps. 119:165; 1 Jn. 1:5-7).
Live on mission knowing that any sinners can come to Christ and receive more than enough mercy—mercy for pardon and grace for power (Matt. 28:18-20; John 3:16).
More readily fight against anxious and despairing thoughts (1 Pet. 5:7).
To thoroughly delight in knowing the Lord Jesus Christ and our Triune God (Deut. 6:4-5; Jn. 17:3).
Adopt a heavenly mindset and repent of worldliness (Col. 3:1-4; 1 Jn. 2:15-17).
Long for the Beatific Vision (1 Jn. 3:2).
Raise children up in the faith while giving them great confidence that no matter how far off they ever run that there is a Father in Heaven who is merciful (Deut. 6:6-9; Luke 15:11-32).
Take up the armor of God and stand firm in the freedom that we have in Christ (Gal. 5:1; Eph. 6:10-20).
Embrace an identity in Christ that rules over all other identities (Gal. 2:20).
Repent of jealousy of others because of the rare jewel of Christin contentment (Phil 2:3; Heb. 13:5).
Rest in the once-for-all justification that is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (Gal. 2:16).
From the assurance of full and final justification pursue good works (James 2:14-26).
Distinguish yet never separate sanctification from justification (Gal. 3:1-7).
Be assured that all you need—and all the blessings in the heavenly places—are in Christ (Eph. 1:3).
Never fail to trust that Christ is preeminent in all areas of life (Col. 1:18,28-2:3).
Repent of both legalism and antinomianism and embrace the life we have in Christ (Col. 2:6-7).
Consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ (Rom. 6:1-14).
Repent of viewing God like a Scrooge in Heaven (Zeph. 3:17).
Delight in keeping the gospel central in every season of life (Rom. 1:16-17).
Remain greatly humbled by the wickedness of sin yet not falling into condemnation (Rom. 3:9-20; 8:1).
Put off the victim mindset of thinking that my sin is stronger than Christ (Rom. 7:15-8:2).
Trust that none of your sin nor suffering can ever separate you from the love of God in Christ (Rom. 5-8).
Thoroughly adopt a life of utter God-centeredness (Rom. 11:36).
This list could go on and on. Let this be a reminder that lingering in despair over sin not only brings one into the Slough of Despond and Dungeon of Great Despair but also cripples one from positively pursuing life in the presence of God.
Embracing doubts of God’s grace is not a virtuous act. While it can be a fairly regular experience for Christians it is not a right and proper experience. We ought to expect seasons of wrestling with doubts, spiritual trials, anfechtungen, sinful fear, and ungodly shame. But, we must not be content with these seasons. We ought to believe that Christ is enough. For it is from that assurance that we live in godliness.
Dear sinner, believe in Christ and cast all your sins upon Him for their annihilation of both penalty and power. Though the presence of sin remain, you have a new Master and a new Covenant. Positively believe this is your new reality—because it is! And by doing so, embrace the freedom that you have from sin and for holiness.
Be assured that Christ is yours and you are His!
For recommended reading:
Counseling Under the Cross by Bob Kellemen
The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes
The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification by Walter Marshall
Devoted to God by Sinclair Ferguson
Luther: Letters of Spiritual Counsel by Theodore Tappert
The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
All of Grace by Charles Spurgeon
Gospel Sonnets by Ralph Erskine
The Marrow of Modern Divinity by Edward Fisher (notes from Thomas Boston)
The Whole Christ by Sinclair Ferguson
Look Unto Jesus by Isaac Ambrose
The Glory of Christ by John Owen