Only Jesus Can Give You Eternal Freedom Forever
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
Religion or Relationship?
Many, if not most, religions focus on appeasing an angry God, finding a way to gain God’s acceptance, or a combination of both. According to most religions, God is either distant and unreachable or an impersonal spiritual force.
When I studied World Religions as a young man in college, I realized the variety of humanity’s attempts to pursue God. Of course, not all appealed to me, but some fascinated me. As I journeyed along my path of faith, I saw one common thread. They all required something on my part to do or believe, and I wondered who established these requirements.
A relationship with God is only possible if He is personal and living. But access into the presence of God may appear impossible without some extraordinary means to gain that opportunity. This is the usual basis for religion—finding some means to connect with God.
Religion is humanity’s attempt to build a bridge up to God based on a person’s best efforts at being good, or at least reaching some minimum requirement. But these efforts and requirements are just arbitrary, hopeful guesses at what God desires.
Can a person have any certainty of reaching out to God and being accepted? Yes, and much more! But it requires us to jettison our own designs, or the designs of theologians, philosophers, or self-proclaimed prophets.
God established His own way to connect with humanity through His Son, Jesus Christ. He opened the way to eternal freedom, for whoever will come to Him by the way He provided.
Scripture Text
But Christ came as a chief priest of the good things that are now here. Christ went through a better, more perfect tent that was not made by human hands and that is not part of this created world. He used his own blood, not the blood of goats and bulls, for the sacrifice. He went into the most holy place and offered this sacrifice once and for all to free us forever. [vss 11-12]
The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of cows sprinkled on unclean people made their bodies holy and clean. The blood of Christ, who had no defect, does even more. Through the eternal Spirit he offered himself to God and cleansed our consciences from the useless things we had done. Now we can serve the living God. [vss 13-14] (Hebrews 9:11-14 GW)
[Context– Hebrews 9]
Key Phrase —
He went into the most holy place and offered this sacrifice once and for all to free us forever.
Dig Deeper Into the Text—
What are we told Jesus did when He came as a chief (high) priest?
Where did Christ enter and what did He offer as a sacrifice? How often did this happen?
Why is the blood Christ offered so much more valuable and powerful than other sacrifices?
What great benefit does the Lord’s sacrifice provide for those who trust in Him, and why is this so?
Things to Consider—
Our efforts at purifying ourselves are useless. All the sacrifices under the Old Covenant Law were only temporary. None of them could make a person pure or free from that point on. None brought eternal freedom.
The perfect sacrifice of Jesus—the Victor over sin, death, and the devil by His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from the dead—brings true freedom. God’s Spirit dwelling in those who are true believers empowers them to live in the victory Jesus won on the cross.
God built the bridge between humanity and Himself. He established His own way. God Himself came as a person to do what no other person could do. Jesus the Messiah (Christ) fulfilled all the requirements of the Law (see Matthew 5:17) so we no longer need to try to meet its perfect demands.
Not only are we free from the requirements of perfect obedience and continual sacrifices, but we are also free to know and serve the true and living God with a clean heart and conscience. This is true freedom. Eternal freedom. There is no striving needed on our part. The Lord extends this freedom by His grace, a gift of freedom sustained by His grace.
Only Jesus can give you, or anyone, eternal freedom. He made the way to connect with God (the Father) by laying His life down and taking it up again through His resurrection. His blood poured out as an atoning sacrifice for all humanity is the only means God accepts to connect with Him.
God alone sets the requirements for all humanity to connect with Him. Jesus lived, died, and rose from the dead once and only once. For all people, for all sin, for all time into eternity. Jesus is our means to eternal freedom!
Answer These Questions to Apply God’s Word in Your Life—
Which do you choose—religious ceremony or genuine spiritual freedom?
Which is better—an appearance of righteousness or a right relationship with God and a clear conscience?
Have you learned and become convinced that the grace of God is far superior to any religious effort on your part?
In what way have you experienced personal freedom to worship and serve the one true and living God through His Son, Jesus?
Here’s a link to a free study guide for the book of Hebrews— Study Guide and Study Questions for Hebrews
