By Nikki Dabney

Have you ever felt trapped? Stuck in a deep depression? Feeling like you can’t bear the temptation surrounding you? Wondering if you’ll ever be able to change? Feeling burdened by the consequences of your mistakes? Hopeless.

Why is it that we trust Jesus with the forgiveness of our sins, but not with the freedom from our sins?

You do not have to keep sinning, asking Jesus to forgive your sins, and getting into an endless, crippling sin cycle. Yes, we are humans, so we will continue to make mistakes, but because of what Jesus did on the cross, sin does not have to own you.

What does it mean when we say that Jesus died for our sins?

We know that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). This means eternal death, apart from God, which Jesus took care of by forgiving our sins through His death on the cross. This also refers to a kind of death we experience here on earth. Sin ruins our lives and destroys us.

But here’s the thing: Jesus didn’t just die; He rose. Our sins are dead because Jesus died, but we also have His resurrection power within us that gives us freedom FROM our sin!

“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been set free from sin” (Romans 6:6-7).  

Because we are creatures wired to worship, we always have a master. But because of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, we “have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness” (Romans 6:14).

Hallelujah that righteousness is my master instead of sin, which tempts me with temporary satisfaction and then turns around and kills me. 

I can’t imagine how painful it would be for sin to rule my life and eternity. Aren’t you in awe of how much Jesus saved us?

So how do you access this freedom? As believers who have accepted Jesus as our Savior, we need to remind ourselves daily that sin is not our master and instead of focusing on stopping sin, we need to focus on pursing righteousness.

If you ever wonder why Christians can’t stop talking about how much we love Jesus, this is why. I was in complete bondage to sin; it owned me. But Jesus set me free. And for that, I am eternally grateful.