Under the law, there wasn't a chance of freedom, for every man was sinful and separated from God for rebelling against His perfect standard of goodness. Thankfully, our Lord is a gracious one, and through love and for freedom He provided a way to break the chains of sin and death. When Jesus Christ was crucified, His life was laid down-but it did not stay down. In paying the price and shedding His innocent blood for guilty people He changed everything and rose from the grave, and in doing so defeated death of all sorts-physical, emotional, mental, spiritual. The Holy Spirit rose Him from the grave and at the end of the book of Matthew we see Christ leaving all believers His Spirit-a very piece of Him-to live inside all who confess His name.
Right now, we are living in a crooked and messy world. We are still tempted. We are still tried. The beautiful truth is that we can take heart, for Christ has overcome the world, and all who take on the name of Jesus Christ and call Him Savior are sealed with the Holy Spirit, according to Ephesians 1:13-14. The same power that rose Christ from the grave lives in His followers, too.
'Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading away though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over His face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit'.
-2 Corinthians 3:7-18
I know I live under grace, and I know I believe in Jesus Christ and all that He stands for, but sometimes I forget that His power is given to me, too. I forget to yield to His Spirit in me, letting anxiety or sin take over. Sometimes I need a reminder, and the Lord is gracious to grant one, and when that realization hits me that a very piece of my Father is in me because I am His child, I am filled with joy and a happiness that makes me want to shout it from the mountaintops! That's what His righteousness in us does-it brings freedom, and for that we have every reason to celebrate Him. Here is a glorious song of celebration and freedom by Shane and Shane.
