Freedom From Sin – What it Means and How to Get it

by Cheryl Watson

Freedom from sin is the freedom to choose eternal life in Christ.  

Cheryl Watson

Sin must be pretty grave if God became like us because that was the only way we could be freed from sin.

God made you and me for Himself, to share Himself with us so that we could reflect Him to the world. But sin separated us from that. The evil that separates is a choice that does not want an interfering God. But you can’t have life without God because HE IS LIFE.  

It is for freedom (from sin to life) that Christ has set us free (Gal. 5:1a NIV).

Even so,  I still live in sin plenty. I imagine you do, too, or you wouldn’t be here! I naturally feel bad about my sins, but I don’t feel too guilty (unless I’ve purposely hurt someone) because I know I’m forgiven. 

But guilt and shame get a hold of me when I entertain thoughts like, “God must have left me in the dark. I’m set free from sin, but God won’t explain it to me. I never heard it in church. Why don’t I feel free?” 

The Holy Spirit did get through to me, and I realized that I was calling God a liar and accusing Him of not being all good. The guilt and shame were sometimes unbearable, and a vicious cycle had formed in my mind. 

I struggled with thoughts like, “God is all good all the time, so the problem must be with me.” “I must not be saved.” And on and on and on.

For the last few months, I have been talking to Father God about this and allowing Him to answer me in His way. That started my mind-renewing process as described in Romans 12:1-2, which says to worship God by letting Him transform the way you think instead of doing what sinful humans do.

Now I’ve never felt so happy and free from sin!

Now it’s time to help you experience freedom from sin, guilt, and shame.

First, let’s figure out what sin is and how it works. Then we’ll finally see that if the Son sets you free, you are truly free (John 8:36 NLT).

What Is Sin?

Basically speaking, sin is going against something God has said. Either God said not to do something and we do it anyway, or He told us to do something, and we didn’t. In both circumstances, we went against God’s word, and we sinned.

The more complicated answer (according to The Blue Letter Bible) is that sin is…

• “an organized power, acting through the members of the body, though the seat of “sin” is in the will (ex. Rom. 6:6)”
• “this governing principle is personified” (or given human characteristics) (ex. Rom. 5:21, Rom. 7:11)
• “a principle or source of action, or an inward element producing acts” (ex. Rom. 5:12)

Furthermore, Romans 14:23b tells us that “everything that does not come from faith is sin.”

So then, what is faith?

“Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

In other words, faith is “the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust (Oxford Languages Dictionary – Confidence definition).”

Sin ultimately comes down to a lack of trust and obedience and the choices we make as a result. When we look at the first human sin, we see it was distrust and unbelief in God’s words that brought it about.

Adam and Eve knew not to eat of that specific tree because they would die. But another voice told them, “That’s not true–just think about it.” And by sight and feeling, they freely chose to believe the lie, so that they might be like God, knowing good AND evil.  

*They could have said to themselves and each other, “We will talk to God about that.” But they didn’t.
It is important to talk to Dad.*

Sin is a lack of trust in God’s word, which causes us to look away from Him.

What Is The Power Of Sin?

The Blue Letter Bible says that sin is…

• “an organized power, acting through the members of the body, though the seat of “sin” is in the will (ex. Rom. 6:6)”
• “this governing principle is personified” (or given human characteristics) (ex. Rom. 5:21, Rom. 7:11)
• “a principle or source of action, or an inward element producing acts” (ex. Rom. 5:12)

Sin can offer us its ungodly thoughts, and we believe they are our thoughts. I believe this is how Eve heard the snake–in her thoughts. Whether or not this is the case, we have new Godly hearts in Christ and know this new heart is not producing sinful thoughts. The old nature is dead, crucified in Christ, so it does not come from us (2 Cor. 5:17).

We must remember that the devil speaks in his native language when he lies. There is nothing but falsehood in him, so he cannot speak any truth (John 8:44).

{Related – “36 Bible Verses About Satan (and what we can learn from them)“}

The power of sin holds us hostage in our sin. Satan tells his lies and makes us believe that we are powerless to control our thoughts and actions.

The Power Of Sin Weakens The Flesh

In this scenario, the flesh is how outside forces influence and program our thoughts and beliefs. We were made to know good. That’s why we are weak, but when we are in Christ, we are strong.

Before Jesus redeemed us, sin weakened the flesh, and we got no life from it.

Our beliefs and thoughts cause our actions – Eve believed a lie, whether she heard it aloud through her ears or in her thoughts. She looked away from God instead of toward Him. Sinful behavior was the consequence. She disobeyed, and she ate.

What is the Law Of Sin And Death?

Simply put, whatever country you are in determines which laws you are under. If you live in Canada, you are under Canadian law.

Spiritually speaking, all creation is under God’s authority and commands. Adam and Eve had power over the earth under God’s direction and care. They rejected God and His authority and, therefore, they gave their authority over the planet to that snake by choosing him over God.

So humankind came out from under God’s law and went to dwell under sin’s law. One way or another, we are under law. We are not free agents. Under sin’s law, if we sin, we must face the consequences of that sin, which is eternal death and eternal separation from God.

“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

Romans 6:16 (ESV)

The good news is that “through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2 NIV).”

But what does “free from the law of sin and death” really mean? Let’s take a look at that next.

What Does It Mean To Be Freed From Sin?

Freedom from sin means two things. First, we are free from the penalty of our sinful choices, which is eternal death and separation from God. That’s not to say, however, that we won’t face consequences in this life for our sinful actions. Second, we are free from the authority of sin that held us hostage under the law of sin and death.

To experience that in a positive way, we must now live by faith in the One who died for us.

You may ask why we still commit sins. Fair question.

Sin, though defeated, is still present on Earth. The devil continues to offer us thoughts contrary to God like he did with Eve. Sin will use our old ways of thinking, memories, and automatic habits so we will feel like they are from us, familiar.

But we walk by faith now. We “submit [ourselves], then, to God. [We] resist the devil, and he will flee from [us] (James 4:7 NIV).”  It takes a lot of practice, but we are secure. We will get new memories and programming (see Rom. 12:2).

Initially, I said my most significant source of guilt and shame was accusing God. I felt like that must be the reason I was not acting perfectly. But I was focusing on myself. Looking away from God is detrimental to our life experiences.

If you have a particular sin that you struggle with and can’t seem to get free from, you will want to focus on what God says. Decide if you will believe Him or the other thoughts that come into your mind. – Cheryl Watson Click To Tweet

If you have to get honest with God, then do it. Do not fear. He wants to work out your salvation with you! When we walk by faith, we will start to feel less and less the old leftover feelings of the dead self. We will get better at focusing on our God. John 8:32 says that when we abide in God’s word we will know the truth and be set free by it.

Dad, God, knows we are easily tricked. That’s why Jesus took care of everything to give us eternal life. We do want to grow up in Christ and model better behavior. We will. Part of our journey as Christians ought to be to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18 NIV).”

{Related: “What is a Christian…Really?” and “Why Are You a Christian?”}

We can and will fall for the devil’s schemes at times and sin, but we are forgiven by grace! We all stumble in many ways (James 3:2), but the grace and mercy of Jesus catch us and set us upright again.

Freedom From Sin Conclusion

We are free from sin. It’s a fact.

We are no longer sinners but saints. God said that we have freedom from sin. So believe Him! Talk to Him if you struggle. But remember, you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world (Col. 2:20).

Also, don’t forget John 16:33, which says that we will face difficulties in this world, but He has overcome the world, and so have you through Him! So be at peace!

While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Instead, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God Himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee, he has given us his Holy Spirit.

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative – that is, the Holy Spirit, – He will teach you everything and remind you of everything I have told you.”

John 14:26 (NLT)

So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies, we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing (2 Cor. 5:2-9).

1 Corinthians 16:13 reminds us to be alert and to “stand firm in the faith” keeping up our courage and strength. Keep your focus on Jesus, and you will reflect His life more and more, rendering sin powerless over you!

How will you keep your eyes upon Jesus and claim your freedom from sin? Comment below and let us know!

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