From Dr. Evans’ new liberating series “Free At Last,” we learn how to enjoy a life of “Freedom from Yesterday.” All of us have a past that consists of both positive and negative experiences. Unfortunately, when our lives are constantly chained to the glories, failures, or struggles of the past, we become prisoners of yesterday. Living in the past will cancel tomorrow while ruining today. This painful truth is seen vividly in the lives of the people of Israel as the Israelites wandered for forty years in the desert, missing the glorious future God had prepared for them. Let us examine their illegitimate slavery to their past as we learn how to enjoy freedom from ours. Here are three principles we must realize.

Freedom from yesterday involves God working out life’s challenges. The Israelite’s deliverance from Egypt required a developmental period in the wilderness in order to arrive at the divine destiny of the promise land. Their experience parallels a beautiful Christian truth. At salvation, we were delivered from the realm of darkness, the authority of Satan, and the power of sin in order that we might have a destiny in fulfilling God’s purpose and promise for our lives. Every Christian has a divine destiny and purpose to fulfill in God. In order to move from deliverance and to arrive at our destiny, we must go through a developmental period. This developmental period is called the wilderness. This dry and barren wilderness serves as a developmental process that God provides whereby He allows us to go through trials, tests, and temptations in order to reveal that He is God. During these times, we have to depend on God because our own resources are not enough. Of course, problems and challenges exist in the wilderness, and it is easy to digress back to yesterday when life was comfortable, although, perhaps, not pleasant. (verses 2-4). When the Israelites shrunk in the midst of their challenges, they saw themselves as “grasshoppers” (Numbers 13:33). As Christians, God has delivered us from the past, allowing us to see how He works out our problems as He prepares the way for us to trust Him more in the future.

Freedom from yesterday requires a different mind-set. God had delivered the people of Israel with a mighty hand and they were free; although they had a new location, their thinking had not changed. We must realize that we can be free and still be a slave to yesterday because of our thinking. One particular problem that plagued the Israelites was their mind-set. It had become their “Achilles heel,” and it can be ours as well. If we are going to reach our destiny in God, we must renew our minds. The Israelites were on their way to the Promised Land--their destiny--yet their minds were still in Egypt. God was raining down manna from heaven yet they were nostalgic about their diet in Egypt (Numbers 11:5). It is difficult to move forward in the things of God if our minds are occupied with the past. Whenever yesterday looks better than today, we are enslaved because of our mind-set.

Freedom from yesterday requires faith. Joshua and Caleb were the only two spies that brought a good report from the Promised Land. Notice their confidence in God, “If the Lord delights in us; He will bring us into this land and give it to us; do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people; the Lord is with us,” verses 6-9. The Israelites did not even mention God, and it seems that Joshua and Caleb always did. They remembered the ten plagues of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the manna, and the water from the rocks. It was not surprising that they were ready to enter their destiny because of their past experiences with God. The Israelites complained (verse 2) and it upset God (verse 22). The people’s lack of faith even affected their children’s future (verse 33). Joshua and Caleb had heard God’s voice and combined it with faith. Faith is not talking about what God will do but acting on what God has already promised. We must combine action with God’s corresponding word. Faith is required to free us from the past!

Do not live in the past! The people of Israel prayed to die in the wilderness (verse 2) and God answered their prayer (verse 32). All of us have a date with destiny in fulfilling God’s purpose and promise for our lives. When we think about yesterday, it should be seen in a glance, just as we glance in the rear view mirror of a car. We need to spend most of our time looking through the front windshield because that is the direction in which we are moving as we trust God. We need to stop complaining, having an attitude that rejects God’s word; instead, we need to spend time with the Joshua’s and Caleb’s, people that trust God. Remember, God has freed us from yesterday, and He is with us through life’s challenges. We must renew our minds and act on God’s word.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, a renowned American literary figure, once stated, “Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.” In our nation, we experience fear for numerous reasons. Fear grips us as we consider such things as the well-being of our children in a time of senseless violence, the choices of food that may cause diseases, the side effects of medicine, possible random acts of terrorism, a fallen economy, and our personal safety. To make matters worse, Satan uses fear to enslave us. Satan is the ultimate enslaver who wants to hold us hostage in spite of the freedom Christ offers. Freedom is the release from illegitimate bondage that allows us to experience what we were created and redeemed to experience. Today, Dr. Evans explains the way to freedom from fear; not the fear that we all experience at various moments in life, but rather the fear that shackles and controls our lives. Following are four principles that we, as Christians, need to claim when dealing with dominating fear.

Principle 1 – Jesus has placed us in this position. In Matthew 14 (see also Mark 6 and John 6), Jesus had just finished feeding five thousand men, not counting the women and children also present, by a great miracle of food multiplication. Verse 22 reveals that it was immediately after this event that He sent His disciples in a boat with instructions to cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. As they were voyaging to the other side, about three or four miles out the disciples encountered a sudden darkness and a storm on the sea. Amazingly, this storm appeared while they were obeying Jesus’ instructions. As Christians, we can learn from this passage; following Jesus can sometimes lead to rough sailing. During the storms that we are facing, we must ask ourselves, “Does Jesus have me in this position? Am I in the place He wants me to be?” We must realize that we can be in the will of God and in a storm simultaneously. It is important to understand that if Jesus has not guided us, we are in a self-imposed storm. Conversely, if we encounter a storm while we are obeying Jesus, we can rest assured that He will grant us His divine aid. Remember, God’s plan for our lives at times will include storms.

Principle 2 – Jesus intercedes for us. While the disciples were struggling at the oars, Jesus was praying. He was not in the boat with them. His physical reality was not visible to the disciples. The disciples were alone in the darkness on a raging sea between three and six in the morning. They were in the middle in the lake about four miles from the shore, stuck in a dreadful situation. At that point, they were probably wondering, “Do we proceed or try to return?” They were afraid. Similarly, when we face fearful situations, we may feel that Jesus has abandoned us. Although we may not feel Him by a physical presence, Jesus is praying for us in the same way He prayed for them. Romans 8:23 tells us that He is praying for us right now. What was His prayer for them and for us now? We find the answer in Luke chapter 22; Jesus told Peter that He was praying that his faith--like our faith--would not fail. When in a frightening situation, it is easy for our faith to fail. The temptation in a terrible situation is for us to stop trusting Jesus. The good news is that Jesus is a sympathetic high priest. He understands how we feel. Mark 6:48 tells us that Jesus saw the disciples straining at the oars. How did Jesus see them in the darkness? He saw them because He knows all. Just as Jesus knew the location of the disciples, He knows our exact location. Jesus can see through the darkness and pain. We need to know that Jesus is praying. In John 11, we find that Mary understood that the Father never rejected the requests of the Son. Like Mary, we must claim the promise of intercessory prayer. When Jesus prays, God the Father answers. His intercession controls the degree of intensity of the situation.

Principle 3 – Jesus will come to us. In verse 26, the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water. They were terrified because they believed him to be a ghost. Already fearful of the storm, their fear drastically increased because they saw something abnormal, someone walking on the tumultuous waves. Jesus approached them, utilizing the storm that frightened them as a staircase for his presence. Because of this situation, they saw Jesus in a new way. Similarly, Stephen saw Jesus in a new way when he was being stoned to death. He will do the same for us. He will utilize the fearful situation to bring His glory to light in a new way in our lives. Our task is to ask God to help us see Him transformed before He changes the circumstances. We must avoid trying to restrict God’s operation to our own process of understanding.

Principle 4 – Jesus will help us grow. Jesus will use fearful situations to help us reach the next spiritual level. The first thing Jesus did when approaching the disciples was to speak to them. He calmed their fears with His words, even though the storm persisted. Peter then requested of Jesus, “If it is you Lord, command me to come to you.” Peter stepped out of the boat by faith. Why did he make such a request of Jesus? Peter wanted more. He wanted not only to see Jesus but also to share in what Jesus was doing. He was willing to take the risk by faith. Peter received a privilege not experienced by the others because he asked by faith. Jesus allowed Peter to come to Him. When Peter saw the wind and shifted his focus from Jesus, he sank. Jesus then referred to Peter as having little faith because he began to doubt due to his changing focus. Peter cried out and Jesus saved him. When Jesus arrived in the boat, the wind stopped because it was His wind and storm Because of the experience of the disciples on the stormy sea, they worshipped Him as the Son of God. Their fears drove them to a deeper experience with God (Psalm 34). We learn from this passage that once Jesus speaks and we respond in faith, the circumstances must become secondary to Jesus Christ. We must fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12). We must not be satisfied with our current spiritual progress when Jesus is moving. We must seize the opportunity for growth. If you are terrified by something, turn your eyes toward Jesus. Just as John 6:21 revealed that when the disciples received Jesus, they arrived at their destination, we must realized that when we act in faith, Jesus has the power and authority to reduce the length of our storm.

God encourages us not to fear just as He encouraged Joshua (chapter 1). We must not allow fear to control us because fear produces slavery. We have freedom through Christ who has power over every frightening situation we may encounter in life or even in death. As we face fearful circumstances, we need to remember four things. First, we need to evaluate whether or not we are following the guidance of Christ. Second, we must understand that Christ is petitioning God the Father on our behalf. Third, we must realize that Jesus will use the frightening situation to reveal Himself in a new way. Fourth, we must rest assured that the fearful circumstance is an opportunity for Christ to grow us spiritually. Our freedom from fear comes as we fix our eyes and hope on Jesus, our matchless Savior.

Continuing his new “Free At Last” series, Dr. Evans presents a much needed and desired freedom, “Freedom from Debt.” Debt has become a way of life and a new form of slavery. Illegitimate debt is a result of our ignorance of God’s plan to handle and be responsible with money, our rebellion (a refusal to follow God’s plan), or our greed. We have embraced materialism (a “must have it” attitude) or indiscriminate spending with no fiscal responsible plan in sight. As a result, illegitimate debt can ensue due to the inability to pay bills on time and/or due to assets being less than liabilities. What we have is worth less than what we owe. God says that borrowers are slaves to lenders (Proverbs 22:7). To borrow money and not be able to repay it is a spiritual issue of wickedness (Psalm 37:21). In fact, a refusal to handle money God’s way can result in elimination of any request we have for greater things (Luke 16:10-11). Therefore, debt is about more than money; it is about our spiritual connection with God. God’s plan for us is to be completely free from debt as we enjoy His greater good for our lives. What does His plan involve?

Freedom from debt involves giving to God. The average Christian gives back 2.5% of what God gives him. This is astounding when we consider the number of Christians in the church today. The reality is that many of us dishonor God in our giving; consequently, God is not interested in blessing us. The tithe, also called the “first fruits” (Pro.3:9-10), is the first tenth of what belongs to God; it is not ours but the Lord’s. However, we dishonor God by robbing Him of what is His, creating a closed heaven (losing the blessings of God) and allowing the locust to eat our crops (a lack of increase). We fail to realize that He controls the locust (Malachi 3:9-11). Frequently, we do not need more money; we just need to keep the money we earn. It appears that we are putting our money in pockets full of holes (Haggai 1). Trusting God demonstrates our love for Him. Respecting His sovereignty allows Him to take ownership of our lives. Appropriately, He is responsible for our lives, including our debt. Not surprisingly, however, when we decide not to trust Him, we assume ownership of our lives, including responsibility for our debts. Giving must be first because God is first. When we tithe, we give God ownership of our lives in this area as demonstrated in our actions and our faith.

Freedom from debt involves saving money. Saving is the opposite of debt yet 35% of Americans have no savings. Saving is putting something away for tomorrow while debt is paying for yesterday. Far too many of us are living in the past because we are paying on past debts. Societal organizations contribute to indebtedness by doing such things as making debt easily accessible by sending credit cards that were not requested and raising credit limits without asking. God’s plan is to save before spending, and only a foolish man spends all he has (Proverbs 21:20). Spending with no regard for saving is the activity of a fool. God says that we should save; in fact, we are to be multi-generational driven in our saving plan (Proverbs 13:22). As an example, Joseph set aside for the good years so that when the bad years came, the people had enough food to eat (Genesis 41:46-57). As Christians, we are to save, even if it is just five dollars a pay period. We must begin at some point. Our financial life depends on it!

Freedom from debt involves spending money. After honoring God, it is time to spend. The correct way to spend is to offer God a plan to bless (Proverbs 16:3; 21:5) by creating a budget. A budget is a spending plan. God approves of a budget because we have honored Him and He is Owner. Too many families operate without a family budget. There should be a monthly meeting in which the head of the household is reviewing and praying over the budget. Understandably, if there is no plan, there is no need for God’s assistance. God wants order and the realization that we are not just asking for blessings without a specific vision for our spending. God does not want to bless us apart from our involvement; therefore, we need a plan for monitoring our resources (Proverbs 27:23-24). The budget consists of three things—needs, wants, and desires. First on the budget are needs, which God promises to meet. These are food, clothing, and shelter (Philippians 4:19; 1Timothy 6:8). If we complain more than give thanks over needs, we are expressing a heart of discontentment. Next, on the budget (when there are sufficient funds) are wants. A want is a higher level of need. We have a car, but we may want an Escalade; we have a house, but we may want a larger, more expensive one. We must not confuse needs with wants then go into debt trying to purchase wants at the wrong time just to try to keep up with the “Jones’s.” Finally, there are desires. God says that He will give us the desires of our hearts, if we commit our ways and trust Him (Psalms 37:3-5). Desires are things outside of needs and wants that are purchased with surplus funds. Things can become out of order because we cannot pay for needs because we are in debt to desires; therefore, we transfer credit balances and get “pay-day” loans that keep us in a never-ending carousel of debt. It is crucial that we follow our budget in an orderly manner.

The point is simple. God is honored by giving to Him first as we save and spend according to our needs, wants, and desires. God intervenes supernaturally to free us from our debt. The key scripture text today tells of the widow woman who came to the prophet because the creditors were knocking at the door to enslave her children for unpaid debt. The prophet asked her what she had in the house and she replied, “A jar of oil.” He told her to borrow a vessel from her neighbors, pour the oil in the vessel, and sell the oil. She obeyed the man of God; as a result, she received supernatural debt cancellation and had enough for her family to retire. God gave the woman a marvelous idea; He can do the same for you. God is sovereign and can do whatever He desires to release you from debt slavery. Trust in God, let Him own your debt, and watch Him move!

In Dr. Evans’ new liberating series “Free at Last,” we learn how to live a life of “Freedom from Anxiety.” It is important to note that anxiety or worry was not limited to the audience of Jesus’ day. Today, many of us are still plagued by worry and its negative effects on our minds and emotions. We worry about such things as financial responsibilities, health issues, and terrorism; some of us even agonize over what other people think of us. The list of anxieties that we experience is endless; however, we can rest assured that there is freedom from all of them. Let us reflect upon Jesus’ explanations regarding worry and how to experience liberation from its bondage.

Freedom from worry begins when we identify it as sin. Jesus repeats Himself three times in Matthew 6, verses 25, 31, and 34 by saying, “Do not worry,” If Jesus tells us to stop doing a particular thing and we continue to do it, then we are sinning. Worrying occurs in our lives when circumstances control and dictate our well-being. On the other hand, we can be legitimately concerned about it if our circumstances are not negatively controlling our minds and attitudes. The issue of worry is an issue of control. What circumstances in life have entrapped us in a circle of threatening thoughts, as we twirl about in endless fear? How can we release our lives from anxiety and experience freedom from worry?

Freedom from worry occurs when we realize the significance of our lives. In verse 25, Jesus asked, “Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” Our Heavenly Father sees us as so valuable to Him that our lives and bodies consist of much more than worry over feeding and clothing ourselves. The provision of food and clothes is a minor activity of God, not a major one. Yet, when this minor activity appears to threaten us by negative circumstances, we go into a panic mode. Our concern should be over what we do with our lives and bodies rather than what we are going to eat or wear. God’s plan for us is larger than eating and clothing ourselves. Jesus begins to discuss birds and flowers in verses 26 and 28. The birds never worry about food, and the flowers never spring forth without being beautifully clothed in nature’s radiant colors. These are divine provisions of God that His creations experience because they are a part of a built in process of nature. Jesus says that we are more valuable than birds, and grass has a short life span (verse 30). Jesus’ point is amazing! If birds and flowers, which are lower creations of His order, enjoy God’s natural provisions without worrying, how much more should we, the highest order of creation on God’s planet, experience His natural provisions, free from worry? We must realize that God has created us to be far more valuable than those lower creations as we expand our view of God.

Freedom from worry occurs when we expand our view of God. Jesus says to the disciples what no Christian wants to hear, “O you of little faith,” verse 30. We worry because we have a diminutive view of God. We express little faith because we view God as small. Unfortunately, the level of our worry describes the level of our faith. We fail to study what God does in nature. Jesus says, “Do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’”(verse 31). We further compound our lack of faith by speaking in agreement with our worry. When this happens, we act like the “Gentiles” (unbelievers) because now we have begun to talk like unbelievers; these are the very things that they seek after with no thought of God. Unbelievers confuse the necessities of life (food, clothes, and shelter) with the desires of life (expensive food, clothes, and shelter). This confusing attitude increases the level of worry and causes us to mistrust God because of misplaced priorities and an incorrect perspective of God. We must first seek Him.

Freedom from worry occurs when we seek God first. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you,” verse 33. When we seek the kingdom, we are seeking God’s rule in our lives. When we seek His righteousness, we seek His standards and His will for our lives. We must seek Him first, not second or last, if we are to be liberated from worry. Often, God is not our priority; therefore, we worry because we lack confidence. We turn Jesus into a “genie in a bottle” and expect Him to fulfill our own selfish desires. We fail to realize that He truly desires to add to our legitimate needs when we allow Him to be “King Jesus,” as He is to the birds and flowers. King Jesus continues to inform us not to worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. When we worry about tomorrow, we increase the burden of today. We can plan for tomorrow but not worry about it. Appropriately, God supplies our needs one day at a time, and when tomorrow arrives, He will be there waiting!

Let us decide to be free from worry by realizing that it is a sin to worry. We have a choice to make. Our lives are extremely significant to God and involve more than daily needs. Our faith will increase when we make God larger than our circumstances and when King Jesus rules our lives as we first seek Him and His will for us. “God will keep you in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Him, because He trusts in you,” Isaiah 26:3-4. Be liberated from worry and remember that Christ loves you!

Martin Luther King, Jr. once remarked that if you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving; you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. Life without hope produces discouragement. Discouragement without a resolution leads to depression, despair, and possibly even death. Today, Dr. Evans offers every Christian struggling with discouragement true freedom through hope in Christ. In last week’s message, he defined freedom as the release from illegitimate bondage to fully experience and enjoy becoming what God redeemed Christians to be. He stated that there were two essentials needed to experience freedom--the truth and a relationship with Jesus Christ. This week’s timely message addresses the reasons and resolutions for experiencing “Freedom from Discouragement.” Let us first consider what causes discouragement.

Hopelessness causes discouragement. In Luke, chapter 24, two disciples walked the seven-mile journey home from Jerusalem to Emmaus. As they walked, they discussed the disheartening events of the past three days, specifically, the illegal trials, crucifixion, and death of Jesus of Nazareth. Unexpectedly and unknown to them, Jesus, appearing as just another traveler, joined the disciples in their walk and conversation. He questioned them, “What are these words that you are exchanging?” The two disciples then explained the reason for their discouragement. Their dreams were dashed because Jesus, their hope for redemption, had died. Just like those two disciples, we experience discouragement when our hopes are diminished and our dreams are destroyed. If we believe God is the cause, our discouragement worsens. However, as Christians, we have a source of hope that has conquered the unchangeable hopelessness of death. What is this magnificent source?

Jesus is our great source of hope. Although they did not realize it, as the disciples’ traveled along the road to Emmaus, they were talking to Jesus, informing Him about their discouragement concerning Him. Why did they lose their hope in Jesus? They were discouraged because they did not believe all that the scriptures had revealed about Him. In order to address the two disciples’ discouragement, Jesus utilized the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) to teach them a proper holistic view about Him. We, too, need a deep revelation of the scriptures. We are frequently drawn to Bible passages concerning blessings, but we overlook the passages about suffering. We do not possess an accurate view about Jesus or what it means to live as His disciples. This type of skewed and selective Bible reading leads us to discouragement when we face unexpected difficulties in life. As a result, we will suffer on our road to glory with Christ. Our responsibility as Christians is to seek the whole counsel of God for a proper perspective about God and life as Christians. As an aside, the key to good Bible reading is looking for Jesus. Jesus is concealed in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament. Just as the proper view of Jesus changed the disciples’ perspective about the situation and set their feet on the pathway to fulfillment and freedom from discouragement, He will do the same for us through a personal relationship and fellowship with Him.

Experiencing a relationship of fellowship with Jesus unleashes hope. We must fellowship with Christ if we are to draw nigh to Him. Bible study is essential to our understanding and knowledge of how to relate to God, yet, it does not necessarily bring us closer to Him. Our knowledge does not equal our relationship. As was referenced in Luke, Chapter 24, when the disciples arrived at the village, Jesus acted as if He were going to keep going. The disciples then realized that they needed to act on their knowledge. According to verse 29, they urged Him to stay with them. They began with Bible study but moved to an experience with God. Jesus entered their home to commune with them. Although He was invited as a guest, He took on the role of the host. He broke break bread and began giving it to them. His nail scared hands broke the bread. Their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. They felt such a renewed strength after experiencing a time of fellowship with the risen Messiah that they walked seven miles back to Jerusalem after just arriving home. The solution to their discouragement was fellowship with Jesus. What does this have to do with us? As Christians, the presence or absence of Jesus determines whether our information session will become an experience with God. We must hunger for more than information. As Christians, we must press on, experiencing the presence of Christ. The risen Christ is operating. He stills knows how to appear at the right time to dispel the darkness of our discouragement if only we will spend time in fellowship with Him.

Discouragement has a way of imprisoning us within our daily routines. Every day appears overcast and rainy. Inwardly, we feel helpless and weak. Our strength is drained. To the discouraged Christian, Jesus offers freedom by giving hope through a proper understanding of God’s word and a relationship with Him. When we, like the two disciples, come into direct contact with the risen Christ, our hope is revived and our strength is renewed.

This week, Dr. Tony Evans expounds on the divine promise of freedom for Christians. Presently, many Christians live as prisoners captured in war. As Christians, we often feel as though we are imprisoned behind enemy lines because of certain circumstances or situations in our lives such as an addiction, pains of the past, uncertainty about the future, or problems of the present. We feel powerless; therefore, rather than seeking freedom, we falter in our cells of imprisonment. This is not what God desires for His people. Freedom is one of the great promises God gives to His people. God’s freedom is liberation from illegitimate bondage or limitations that prohibits us from being all that we are supposed to be as a redeemed people. God saved us to be masterpieces of His glory. We must understand that freedom does not mean the absence of boundaries; freedom without legitimate restrictions leads to chaos. In today’s scripture passage, Dr. Evans reveals three important points that Christians need to understand to experience freedom through Christ.

Freedom requires the Truth (John 8:31). For us to experience freedom, Jesus informs us that it requires the truth. Knowledge and belief of the truth lead to deliverance. As Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” Jesus revealed it as an absolute standard by which reality is measured. It is not negotiable. Truth originates from God; it exists and it can be known only through Him. The question is, “What will be our source of truth?” People appeal to many sources of truth such as feelings, reason, and moral instincts. They all fall short of sufficiency. Feelings should not be our source of truth because they change. Reason should not be our source of ultimate truth because we have finite understanding. We are always learning something new; however, God is not learning or gaining new information. Moral instincts should not be our source of truth because they vary from person to person. The only acceptable source of truth is God’s Word. In contrast to our culture’s postmodern view of relative truth, as Christians, we must make a fundamental decision to rely on the objective standard of the word of God if we want to gain our freedom.

Sin creates slaves (John 8:34). "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.” The crucial insight that we must have for freedom is the truth about our own sin. Not surprisingly, Jesus portrays sin as a slave master. Sin is a violation of God’s standards and is addictive. It creates addictions in our lives that enslave us. Like a tattoo, sin leaves its imprint on our souls, preventing us from experiencing freedom. The Bible refers to these addictions as strongholds. In order to gain freedom from these strongholds, we must identify the spiritual cause and cure to have an experiential release. This will not be easy. Why is this so difficult? It is difficult because our sin corrupted nature, which causes us to desire self-control rather than God control, will resist the truth. We have old, bad ways of thinking that need to be changed. Therefore, we must earnestly seek to know and live according to the truth, God’s truth.

Freedom comes from the Son of God (John 8:36). How does the truth set us free from our situations in life, situations in which we do not know the truth, are not dealing with the sin, or are not operating in the truth? We must begin by realizing that the freedom must be based on God’s truth. Freedom is, therefore, the result of the knowledge of the truth and the activity of the Son of God. The Son does not set us free until the truth is known. People want deliverance from the Son before knowing the truth. We must first discover the truth of God concerning the subject and what He promises in relationship to this subject. Only then will we have access to the freeing power of the Son. Information does not set us free; the Son does. Jesus is the one who unlocks our cells of sin. Christ promises that our freedom will be freedom indeed. Indeed means “surety.” The same word “indeed” is used in reference to Jesus being raised from the dead. He rose indeed. This means it will be a true victory. Jesus may do this directly or he may have other believers come alongside to help us gain freedom from our bondage.

Paul wrote to the Galatians, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free.” Freedom is a divine gift that all Christians begin to experience at the point of salvation. Our freedom does not end at salvation; it continues throughout our lives. We gain freedom from our bondages of sin as we come to know, understand, and believe the truth of God’s word. When we live in accordance with the truth, we gain access to the freeing power of the Son of God. He alone frees us from our former slave master of sin.