There was a time in my life when I sat in the prison of sin and considered myself a very enterprising person, more advanced in life than my peers. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life served as my adornments, and I did not understand what an abyss I was plunging into. But my journey through life was only beginning, and I was searching for something that would appeal to my heart—and I chose sin.
Some people may consider themselves kind and good while living without God in their hearts, but I understood very clearly that I was a sinner, that someday I would have to pay for my actions, and that the price would be high. Therefore, I believed that I had no chance of salvation or forgiveness. At one point in my life, I decided to establish a proper family. We decided to have a church wedding in a traditional church.
Before the wedding, however, confession and Communion were required. I learned the procedure for this ceremony and went to confession. I approached the minister and began telling him about all my sins, creating an enormous line behind me. In the end, I was told that my sins were forgiven and that I was clean. I received Communion and left the church. A storm erupted in my mind. I understood that something strange had happened. I felt no relief, but I realized one terrible thing: now I could sin and then come to confession, and everything would be forgiven. This arrangement suited me, but it gave me no peace in my heart. The sins I had become accustomed to committing held me very tightly and drew me toward things that were destroying my life. I lived in constant fear, although I looked like a hero. The prison of my sin was very dark. But God did not leave me in darkness. He sent someone into my life who revealed the true God to me and gave me hope of genuine deliverance. I responded to God’s call and invited the Most High into my problems. Jesus came into my life, and everything changed. He set me free from the power of sin, the fear of death, and impure thoughts. I came out of slavery, and a new life began for me—a life of light and of knowing God. I broke free from the prison of sin, never to return to it again.
Another brick of happiness is called “I am free.” Once again, I would like to give special emphasis to the word “I.” This “I” is the connecting link between my heart, God’s blessings, and the powers of Heaven. Without my participation, freedom will remain only a grand word in forceful statements. But when I take part, it finds a place in my heart, becomes part of the wall of my little house of happiness, and serves as my eternal adornment. It is an enduring and exceptionally strong material that successfully protects my life from bad weather.
What a sweet word freedom is! It is something placed within every human being. It is what people struggle for, wage wars for, and give their lives for.
And yet, we must understand what freedom is.
Freedom is the ability to act according to one’s personal convictions without harming others; it is independence from another person’s will in choosing one’s own path, and independence from external factors or one’s own sinful addictions when making a decision.
Freedom itself is made possible by the existence of law, which establishes certain boundaries governing a person’s relationship with the society in which he lives. Where there is no law, there can be no concept of freedom.
In relation to the happiness we are discussing, freedom may be defined as personal freedom from the power of lawlessness. Sin, too, is recognized through the law; where there is no law, there is no sin. The Word of God defines sin quite clearly and shows that it is deadly to every person, regardless of age, nationality, or sex.
Jesus assures us that everyone whom He sets free will be truly free.
How can I know that I am not free? For many people, freedom means that they are not in prison and can do whatever they please. But as I study the Bible, I begin to see that the Word of God calls sin by its name, and I recognize it in myself. In essence, sin damages the mind of its victim, making that person unable to distinguish truth from falsehood and light from darkness. It brings a person into complete dependence on repeatedly performing certain actions or gratifying certain desires. Wickedness progresses within the mind, establishes its dictatorship, and destroys a person’s will, reason, and feelings, making him incapable of independent decisions. Thus, he becomes possessed and dependent upon the power of sin. Possession does not always manifest itself in violent behavior. It is the rule of the prince of darkness over my will.
Sin is not a disease but a conscious choice. Where there is no consciousness or reason, there can be no sin. How can we distinguish disease from sin? If a gun were held to someone’s temple and he were told that he would be shot in the head if he did a certain thing, and he found within himself the strength not to sin, then the issue is lawlessness. He could not, however, simply choose not to be ill. If his immune system were impaired, fear of death would not make him healthy.
As I study God’s will, I come to understand what sin is. In His mercy, God begins to reveal the dark areas of my life, awaiting my repentance so that He may cleanse me. He has given us a beautiful means of deliverance from sin. It includes God’s promise, a person’s decision, and Power from Above—God’s grace, which, by the will of Jesus, sets people free from the power that has ruled their lives and minds.
I am free. This is the clear realization and awareness that Jesus has removed from my mind something that inclined me toward sin and held me in bondage and fear. More precisely, it is freedom from the power of demons.
In the spiritual realm, we cannot belong to ourselves. We are either with God or with Satan and his host of spiritual wickedness in high places. When I am free, I can choose where I belong.
It is interesting that in God I have absolute freedom and may even leave Him at any time if I choose to do so. Under the power of sin, however, there is no freedom. I cannot simply decide to leave it behind. If I have given myself into Satan’s hands, he gives his victim no opportunity to escape and will not release that person, although he may replace one form of bondage with another.
Jesus is the Way to freedom. He is the Truth. He is a full and abundant Life of joy and happiness. When Christ sets a person free, it is genuine deliverance. It is a clean heart, a clean mind, and a clean conscience. It is complete forgiveness and peace with God. It is a new life—life more abundantly.
Just as a person rejoices in a clean body after bathing, so the soul becomes cleaner through fellowship with Christ. Although the process of spiritual cleansing may last a lifetime, the joy of freedom fills life with happiness at every stage of spiritual growth. A person goes from glory to glory, being transformed into the likeness of the One upon Whom he beholds.
God Himself takes an active part in this process of cleansing. He draws all people to Jesus and pours out such an abundance of light and grace that there is enough for the entire world.
In Jesus Christ I am free—absolutely free.
Sadly, I once lived in darkness, and sin had power over me. But Jesus came into my life, set me free, cleansed me, and continues to cleanse me day by day. I have something with which to compare myself, and I see an enormous difference. I do not wish to return to the place of fear, death, Satan, and slavery to sin.
Jesus loves to set the tormented free. He seeks them and uses me and others who have been delivered from slavery so that we may love one another and seek those who want to be happy and free.
Bible verses for this chapter:
Exodus 20:2; Psalm 119:45; John 8:32, 36; Romans 6:5–8, 18–23; 8:1–2; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:1–6; 2 Timothy 2:24–26; James 2:12; 1 Peter 2:15–16; 2 Peter 2:18–20