Breaking the Chains: Discovering True Freedom in Christ

Have you ever felt trapped by your past mistakes? Or perhaps you're struggling with negative thoughts about yourself, feelings of inadequacy, or the weight of shame? Maybe you're battling an addiction that seems impossible to overcome. I have good news for you today: you were meant to live in freedom.

This week, we kicked off our new series "Run Wild, Live Free" by exploring what true freedom looks like for followers of Christ. And let me tell you, it's not what most people think.

Jesus made a profound statement in John 8:32 that many of us have heard before: "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." When He spoke these words to religious leaders who thought they were already free, they became indignant, responding, "We've never been slaves to anyone!" (John 8:33).

But Jesus wasn't talking about political freedom. He clarified in John 8:34, "I'm telling you the truth. Everyone who sins is a slave to sin." This is a hard truth to swallow because none of us like to admit we're slaves to anything. We prefer to think we're in control.

Here's what I've learned in my years of ministry: we can become slaves to three primary things, and I'll bet you recognize yourself in at least one of these:

Many of us are slaves to bad decisions we've made and the brokenness we've left in our wake. I'll be honest with you - I personally struggle with shame and guilt from things I've done in my past, even today.

The Apostle Paul understood this struggle well. Before his encounter with Jesus, he was responsible for imprisoning and killing Christians. Can you imagine wrestling with that kind of past? That's why he wrote in Philippians 3:13-14, "One thing I do, I forget what is behind me and I press on toward the high calling of God."

Some of us are slaves to wounds inflicted by others - emotional, verbal, or even sexual abuse that was no fault of our own. The painful memories hold onto us and keep us captive.

Let me share some sobering statistics: One out of every four girls will be sexually abused before age 18. One out of every six boys will experience the same. In a room our size, these numbers mean many of you know this pain personally.

For some, these wounds are fresh; for others, they were inflicted years ago but still have a hold. The enemy loves to whisper lies: "Don't tell anyone, or they'll think differently about you" or "You deserved this." These are lies, and freedom starts with recognizing them as such.

Many of us try to find fulfillment in things that won't satisfy. As God said in Jeremiah 2:13, "My people have done two evil things. First, they've abandoned me, the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all."

Whether it's pornography, alcohol, drugs, anger, worry, or even something as "innocent" as caffeine (I had someone pray I wouldn't mention that one!), we've all got something that controls us more than we'd like to admit.

So how do we break free? Jesus tells us in John 8:36, "If the Son sets you free, you will be really free." This is crucial to understand: Freedom is not the absence of something; freedom is the presence of someone. That someone is Jesus.

Here's the best definition of freedom I've found: Freedom is the ability to act or react in life as the person I was created to be. Freedom has never been about our outward circumstances; it's about becoming who we were created to be in the middle of our circumstances.

True freedom means you don't have to respond to every argument you're invited to. You don't have to take the bait when someone tries to provoke you. You're free to walk away, to respond as the person God created you to be.

1. Change Your Focus

What I seek first will prioritize every other area of my life. Jesus told us in Matthew 6:33 to "seek first the kingdom of God, his righteousness." When we seek God above all else, everything else begins to take proper shape in our lives.

Think about it: if you seek first relief from pain, you give that pain the ability to organize your life. If you seek first freedom from your past, the past keeps inserting itself into your present. But when you seek God's kingdom first, He begins to order everything else according to His design.

2. Recover Your Identity

Freedom flows out of knowing and understanding who you are in Christ. No person can consistently behave in a way that's inconsistent with how they perceive themselves.

I think we're about to see a revival of people getting set free in their identities - people discovering who God says they are instead of believing the enemy's lies. And when someone walks through our doors confused about their identity, our job isn't condemnation; it's love and compassion that will set them free.

I want to give you something practical. Begin each day by reminding yourself of these truths:
I am completely accepted - "I am a child of God" (John 1:12)
I am totally secure - "I can live free from condemnation because I belong to Jesus" (Romans 8:1)
I am deeply confident - "I am God's masterpiece, His work of art" (Ephesians 2:10)
I am who God says I am - "Through Christ, I am more than a conqueror" (Romans 8:37)

Stop rehearsing the lies others have spoken over you. Stop letting a teacher, an ex-spouse, or even a parent's words define you. You are defined by what God says about you.

Here's what I want you to understand: You are not defined by what someone else says about you or by what you've done in the past. That's what you did, but that's not who you are. God says you're His son, His daughter.

As Dr. Neal Anderson wisely noted, "The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your true identity."

If you're struggling with wounds from your past, if you're battling an addiction, if you're enslaved to shame - whatever the enemy has told you about yourself, recognize it as a lie. You didn't deserve the abuse. You can find freedom. You can break free from what's been holding you back.

It's time to break the chains and walk in the freedom Christ died to give you. You were meant to run wild and live free!

This is Week 1 of our "Run Wild, Live Free" series. If this message spoke to you, I'd love to hear from you. And if you're ready to take the next step in your freedom journey, don't hesitate to reach out. Freedom is possible, and it starts with recognizing where you are and believing what God says about who you are.