Freedom in Christ

I've heard the following idea expressed more than once before. It's one that's easy to understand in the abstract, yet difficult to fully digest and live. As a believer, born again to life in Christ, the absolute worst (I use that word in a tongue-in-cheek manner) possible thing that could ever happen to me is that I could die today and be ushered into the presence of my Lord and Savior. Everything else that happens to me is utterly inconsequential; it literally pales to nothing by comparison.

Let me say it this way. As a believer in Jesus Christ, I cannot be threatened with death. Death has no power over me. My response to "or I'll kill you" could only be "You can't threaten me with eternal life." What freedom there is in Christ! I'm free to serve Him, without the worries of the world hanging over my head. Those worries only become mine when I let them. It's amazing how much truth there is in those lyrics...

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

Praise my Father in Heaven for the joy that comes from knowing this great truth! This morning, it feels as if someone took the "slave contract" I had with the world around me and stamped the word EXEMPT, in bold red letters, right on the front cover. Imagine being handed a bill for everything you've ever done wrong in your life, with the bottom line reading DEATH. Now imagine a red stamp across the front of that bill saying PAID IN FULL...but you're still alive! How could this possibly be, you ask?

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. - Galatians 2:20

Think of a prisoner on death row, being led to the execution chamber. What usually gets said then? "Dead man! Dead man walking!" Now imagine that this same prisoner gets led from his cell, right past the execution chamber, out the front door, through the gate, unshackled, and set loose...all the while, still hearing that chant "Dead man! Dead man walking!" Yeah, it's kinda like that. Isn't that great? I still bubble up with glee as I sit here typing it all out, just thinking about it.

The perfect, holy, sinless God of all loves me that much, that He took on human flesh, and bled and died for me, paying MY penalty for MY sin in MY place. What could possibly be better than that?

I'm a free man, and a dead man walking! He-hee!!

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. - Romans 6:4