It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1 NIV
God Has Set You Free
Nine years and half a million dollars in legal bills later, Nova Scotia carpenter Clayton Johnson in 2002 was finally cleared of murdering his wife. The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal overturned Johnson’s 1993 first-degree murder conviction, and ordered a new trial. But when the Crown said it had no new evidence to offer and would not proceed, Johnson was declared a free man. In 1995, Johnson’s cause was taken up by the Toronto-based Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted.
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The Bible teaches that every man, woman and child is born in sin, and sin reigns in each life until Jesus removes their sin and inputs His righteousness. At that point, everything changes. We no longer desire sin to rule our lives – our desire is to honour Jesus in everything we say and do. Until we get to heaven, however, sin still has a pull and the Bible warns us against turning back. Paul the apostle writes this in Galatians 5:1: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Jesus has set us free from the slavery of sin. With the Holy Spirit in our lives, we have His power to live a life of purity and holiness. Temptation will come – we need to be aware and prepared. We need to daily die to self and offer our bodies as living sacrifices. Jesus died to set us free – we are called, by His strength, to stand firm and not allow ourselves to once again be slaves to the sin that Jesus died to overcome. Walk in victory today.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley