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If you were to be brutally honest you would have to admit that most believers live a life plagued with bondages and perpetual frustrations because biblical promises are not being realized in their lives. It is not because they’re bad people who don’t love God, and don’t want to please God. It’s because they are stuck and don’t know how to get free. Many have tried all kinds of programs that guarantee a quick fix, but I’m sorry to tell you - there is no quick fix for bondage and stagnation. It is a mindset that takes time, intentional effort, revelation from God and commitment to overcome. It is not a one step process, but a commitment to a lifestyle of learning to live and have faith in the Word and power of God.

John 8:36 says “Therefore if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed” (MKJV). This is a powerful statement with a very important promise that warrants having a basic understanding of what it actually means. Let’s look at three key observations from that verse. First, Jesus Christ, not we ourselves, is the one who sets us free. Secondly, the words “make free” means “to liberate from the bondage of sin, deliver or cause to be unrestricted”. Thirdly, the word ‘indeed’ means “truly, in reality and as a matter of fact”. In summary, this verse means, it is a true and unchangeable fact that anyone who has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior has been made free from the bondage of sin and death. They have been given the authority to make unrestricted decisions and therefore have the authority to determine for themselves the course of their life.

Now, if you are not a believer, and have not accepted Jesus as Lord, John 8:36 does not apply to you. In Ephesians 2, the Bible actually describes the unbeliever as being in the world without God, disconnected from the promises of God and therefore left without hope. This person is left without the ability or authority to resist the lust of their flesh, the lure of the world or the devil’s attempts to destroy their lives. If this is you and you don’t have a personal relationship with God, I pray that you ask yourself right now if you want to continue the course that you are on or do you want to be empowered to be free to live the abundant life that only Christ can make available. The choice is simply that you believe Jesus Christ is the son of God who died for your sins. If your choice is Christ, Romans 10:9-10 tells us if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. This simply means if you have a heartfelt conviction that Jesus is alive and you are willing to receive Him as your Lord and Savior you are ready to pray a prayer that will lead you into salvation. All you have to do at this point is say the following prayer aloud and you will be saved:

“Lord God I thank you for your son Jesus, who came, died and rose again just for me. I thank you that His blood washes me and cleanses me from all sin, guilt and shame. I receive Jesus now as my Lord and savior. I ask that you would mold me and shape me into the person you created me to be and guide me into a life that accomplishes your purpose and leads me to the good life that brings true fulfillment through you. In Jesus name I pray – Amen.”

So the million dollar question is this; “Can a believer who has been made free by Christ, be in bondage?” The answer is yes! Galatians 5:13 (NLT) says “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love”. Because freedom gives us the authority to choose the course of our own lives, we can choose certain lifestyles or patterns that lead to unhealthy, ungodly and unproductive practices that perpetuate addictions and/or bondage. This explains why we have so many believers hooked on the various vices we see in the world today. It’s not because they have not been made free, it’s because they chose to use that freedom to satisfy the lust of the flesh – which, by the way, will never be satisfied.

But here’s the ten-million dollar question, “When a believer’s choice has led to a life of bondage, does that negate or cause that believer to no longer be free?” The answer is emphatically NO, because freedom is not based on your situation, it is based on an empowerment from the Lord Jesus Christ. That gives the believer the right to choose to change the course of their life regardless of current circumstances. This means we never lose our authority or freedom to choose to get out; even when it was our choices that got us in.

If you’re addicted to porn, drugs, alcohol, gambling, eating or whatever; freedom gives you the authority to choose to break that area of bondage. You may need to choose to go into rehab, receive deliverance, join a support group, get under a doctor’s care, change your relationships – the point is, freedom allows you to make the necessary choices to get free and stay free. Please note, freedom won’t make you do anything but it does guarantee you will always have the authority to make choices that line up with God’s Word and will for your life. This will ultimately determine the quality of life you live. John 10:10 tells us that Christ came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. The problem is most believers see this as a guarantee of an abundant life, but it is actually the guarantee of the opportunity for an abundant life. One that did not exist before Christ came and made us free.

This means the abundant life is not an automatic occurrence that you can just pray for, fast for, or wait for. On the contrary, it’s the promise of an opportunity to use your freedom to align yourself with the will of God in order to live the abundant life that is God’s will for you. Again, this lack of understanding has many believers frustrated. They’re waiting on an outcome that is not guaranteed instead of maximizing the opportunity (freedom) that is in fact the guarantee. As we know maximized opportunities are not predicated on circumstances, but on our capacity to make the right choices in the circumstances. This leads us back to the powerful role freedom plays in the life of a believer.

To help you get a better understanding of freedom let’s briefly examine three reasons God sets the believer free. In Exodus 10:3 Moses tells Pharaoh to let God’s people go that they may serve Him. The first reason for freedom is to serve God. After all, God says we can’t serve two masters so God had to free them from Pharaoh to give them a choice to serve Him. The second reason scripture gives for freedom is to serve one another as we read earlier in Galatians 5:13. The final reason is to fulfill purpose or do the good works which is referenced in Ephesians 2:8-10. Having this understanding that all believers have been made free to serve God, serve one another and fulfill purpose, one must wonder why so many believers are frustrated and living in captivity? We know God is capable and credible to fulfill His Word so the problem must lie with us. I believe the answer to this perpetual problem lies in John 8:31-32 which I call the empowering path to freedom. I believe these verses contain five steps or principles that are critical in fortifying the believer’s ability to identify and eliminate negative patterns, lifestyles and habitual behaviors. Those things will keep you bound and stagnant in your pursuit of a victorious life in Christ. Let’s look at the scripture again in the MKJV and underline the empowering path to freedom.

John 8:31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who believed on Him, If you continue in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. ³²And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. As you can see from the underlined text, the five keys in the empowering path to freedom are, faith in God, abiding in the Word of God, and becoming a disciple of God. Gaining a personal revelation of the person and power of God, which leads to the proper appreciation and application of the empowerment from God, that is freedom.

The word ‘believe’ in the above verse is the Greek word “pisteuo” which means “to have faith in, to entrust or to put trust with”. Our contextual definition is simply “to come to know and believe in the credibility and capability of God”. Faith, or believing in God, is an important key in every aspect of your relationship with Christ and the quality of life you ultimately live. Roman 10:9 tells us that salvation comes through faith. Matthew 9:27-30 says our ability to receive from God is based on our level of faith. 1 John 5:1-5 tells us that the only way we can overcome the world and its vices is by faith. We can see why faith or the belief in God is the first and most critical step on the empowering path to freedom.

The word ‘continue’ comes from the Greek word “meno” which means “to stay in a given place or state, to abide, dwell, remain and stand”. Our contextual definition is “to diligently pursue and abide in the Word of God”. When you truly believe in God and His Word there should be a consistent pursuit of that which you say you believe in. This enables you to learn to live by the Word of God and abide in the presence of God because you have made the decision to stay in pursuit of God.

The word ‘disciple’ refers to a person who has willfully become a learner, or pupil of God by way of developing an intimate personal and positional relationship with God with a focus on being changed into His likeness. This typically happens by moving through the stages of observer, follower, student and ultimately a practitioner. The goal of a disciple, as observed in scripture, is to live a life that produces the same level and likeness of manifestation as Jesus. This is what Jesus meant in John 14:12 when He said “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father”.

Biblical truth, in and of itself, does not change. It is the unmovable foundation that every believer’s life should be built on. However, biblical truth that’s revealed but not internalized by the believer becomes information that produces no real manifestation in your life. This is why knowing the truth or having a heartfelt, life changing conviction of the truth usually comes after making the decision to have faith in God, abide in the word of God, and be a practitioner (disciple) of the ways of God. Truth then becomes two-fold in your life. There is the internal awareness that the God you believe, pursue, and pattern your life after is who He says He is and can do all that His word says He can do. That understanding of truth also brings the awareness that you are who God said you are and you can do all that God said you can do. At this point the words in scripture are no longer just words, they are the way, the truth and the light that will set you free to become everything scripture says you are.

As I mentioned earlier freedom won’t make you do anything, but it will release you to live the abundant life Christ made available. Even though this life is available to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior it will only be maximized by those who choose to use that freedom to serve God, each other and fulfill the purpose you were created, ordained and set free to fulfill.

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. ¹²Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. 1Chronicles 29:11-12 (NLT)

Right from the beginning I want to emphasize the importance of believing and knowing that God is in control and without limits. It would be impossible for a believer to have unlimited faith in a God that you believed had limitations. So the first critical and empowering step in breaking free from bondage and maintaining freedom from all negative patterns, mindsets and habitual behaviors; is the revelation that God is bigger than you and all of your challenges. He is even bigger than those seemingly insurmountable obstacles that you may be facing right now in your life.

Bondage occurs in the life of the believer when the ability to break free and stay free from an undesirable pattern of behavior has been lost. At that point your only hope for deliverance is to get assistance from someone who is stronger than you and your bondage. It would take someone who has the authority and ability to empower you to not only resist the trappings of your problem, but also to establish or reestablish authority in that area of your life.

In my case, I had tried for years to overcome my addictions without long-term success. Over time, those repeated failures brought me to the conclusion that I was not strong enough on my own to get free and stay free. Sure, I had won some battles by staying clean for three months, six months and even a whole year. But once the circumstances of my life made me too sad, too happy, too tired, too angry, too weak or too anything for that matter, I would fall back again. I realized that will power was only as strong as the source willing the power. And as long as I depended on myself to be that source of power, I was inadvertently setting myself up for another fall.

Once we understand that God is the source behind all of the power that exists, we can also understand that God has the authority and ability to transfer portions of His power, might and strength unto us. In 1Chronicles 29:11-12 we are shown that the strength we need to overcome our challenges is made available to us through our relationship with God, thereby equipping us, through God, for complete victory in Him. It is only through God that we can gain the strength we need to overcome every obstacle that we face.

In Deuteronomy 4:39, the scripture tells us that we should take the time to consider (by observation and evaluation) in the innermost parts of our being, that God is God and there is no other. In order for you to have a realistic expectation for perpetual deliverance and victory in every area of your life, you must clearly understand that the God you serve is in control and without limits.

It is important for you to settle the matter of who is really in control once and for all, because your ongoing success depends on your confidence in the power of God. Believe me, the devil and your flesh will challenge you on this one, so let’s make sure you are grounded in this truth straight from the Word of God. Colossians 1:16-17 says “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers all things were created by him, and for him And he is before all things, and by him all things consist”

This testifies that everything in heaven and on earth, things we can see and things we can’t see, were all created by God, work for God, and only continue to exist because God allows it. This clearly shows us that God is in control of what was, what is and all that will ever be. When we look at creation unfolding in the book of Genesis 1:1-2, we can begin to see the depth of God’s inexhaustible power and all-knowing nature. When we look at creation we can clearly see God did not start with a model or an example to follow. There was no green grass in place or abandoned neighborhoods to rebuild. There were no architectural floor plans, no tools, no construction workers or warehouses full of world-creating supplies just waiting on God to place His order. God saw nothing that would indicate promise or potential as His Spirit was hovering over the vast nothing that we now call Earth.

The first of the two, often overlooked, attributes that reinforce the power of God I want to briefly focus on is foresight. Foresight is the ability to look forward or have a view of the future and then to care for and lay aside provisions for future needs. Foresight gives God the ability to look at nothing and see something. It also produces the capability to identify future challenges based on current conditions. Through foresight, God has the wherewithal to make plans and provisions for things which have not yet come to pass. Think about everything that would ever need to happen in order for God’s plan for the sun to continue to shine and for the earth to continue to be a life-sustaining source. God was able to see it and address it clearly before the beginning of time. This is why God never had to send out a repairman to jump-start the moon or re-adjust the sun, because He could see at the beginning all that would ever need to be addressed.

What do you think is more important to God: the earth, or His children for whom the earth was created to sustain? Well, the answer is, His children. If you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are a child of God, recreated by God, and should therefore personalize the benefits of God’s foresight for your life. To help you really get this, take a minute to internalize and personalize this statement: “God has a plan for my life.” Next say the following out loud with boldness:

“Before God created me, He saw all my tomorrows. He knew every test, trial, temptation and challenge I would ever face in this life; and nothing that I am going through right now is a surprise to God. Therefore, the provision for my victory must already be in place.”

The second attribute is what I call “Self-Contained Resources.” Resources are defined as a source of supply, support or capability in dealing with a situation. In essence, resources are the means to a desired end. Scripture tells us that every resource God needed for creation was fully contained in Him and brought into existence through the power of His spoken word. This means God doesn’t need any outside help. Again, when we personalize this, we see that our God is capable and credible to do everything He promised in His Word; regardless of current situations or circumstances. Now, let’s continue to prove that God is in control and without limits by focusing on His supremacy.

Now search all of history, from the time God created people on the earth until now, and search from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything as great as this ever been seen or heard before? ³³Has any nation ever heard the voice of God speaking from fire—as you did—and survived? ³⁴Has any other god dared to take a nation for himself out of another nation by means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, a strong hand, a powerful arm, and terrifying acts? Yet that is what the LORD your God did for you in Egypt, right before your eyes. ³⁵“He showed you these things so you would know that the LORD is God and there is no other. Deuteronomy 4:32-35 (NLT)

Supreme, by definition, is highest in rank or authority; paramount, chief or ultimate. Or, you could simply say that God has unmatched power and authority. You have to wrap your mind around the fact that nothing is bigger, better, stronger or smarter than God. God is God all by Himself. As we can see in the scriptures above, God is the designer, creator and ultimate authority in heaven and on earth. To help you get a clearer understanding of the supremacy of God, let’s take a look at three key factors.

Ponder Point: When we evaluate and observe what God has accomplished on Earth, we witness God’s unmatched supernatural abilities and demonstrated acts of power! This makes it very clear that nothing has earned the right to be compared to God based on merit, accomplishment or displayed acts of power.

As with making a comparison, when you think about competition, you need to have two or more entities that have the same or similar talents, power and abilities in order for the challenge to actually be competitive. If one team is bigger, stronger, faster and better than the other team, they can still play the game; it just will not be competitive because the lesser team won’t have a realistic chance to win. Deuteronomy 3:24 (ESV) speaks directly to this point when we read, O Lord GOD, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? We see this point further magnified in Nahum 1:7-9 (NLT) The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. ⁸But he will sweep away his enemies in an overwhelming flood. He will pursue his foes into the darkness of night. ⁹Why are you scheming against the LORD? He will destroy you with one blow; he won’t need to strike twice!

God’s power and authority has been challenged throughout history and the results are documented in the scriptures. Beginning with satan; who challenged God and was cast out of heaven through Pharaoh who challenged God and was destroyed with His army in the Red Sea. Although these were real challenges, they were never competitive because God was never in jeopardy of losing, because God is infinitely greater than all who would oppose His ultimate authority.

When we look at the life of Joseph we see this truth played out in scripture. Starting in Genesis 37, God gives the seventeen-year-old Joseph a dream that indicates His plan for Joseph’s life. Although Joseph is excited about God’s plan, others around him are not. Consequently, his brothers put him into a pit, sold him to Midianite merchants, who in turn sold him into slavery in Egypt. While a slave in Egypt, God gave Joseph favor with his master, Potiphar, who appointed Joseph to be his personal assistant in charge of his house and all his property. This good fortune was short lived, as Joseph was falsely accused of a crime and thrown into prison. While in prison God gave Joseph favor with the jailer who put him in charge of the other prisoners. Years go by but God’s plan for Joseph is unaltered. Finally, God gives Joseph the answer to the king’s recurring dream. Now, at age thirty and against all worldly odds, Joseph is promoted Governor over all of Egypt. It took thirteen long years of pain, persecution, and overcoming obstacles, but God’s plan ultimately prevailed.

Through the story of Joseph we learn that success is not predicated on the position of others when it has already been determined by the providential plan and power of God. This is why we can count it to be truth, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31-b

1 John 4:8, 16 reminds us that the very nature and essence of God is love. This must be internalized because if we cannot comprehend this truth, we will never be able to cultivate and have confidence in the relationship that God desires to have with us, His children. Let’s look at three key characteristics of how God demonstrates and validates His love for us in ways that can clearly be seen.

This is very hard for most adults to understand because most, if not all of our relationships have had strings attached. People generally give with the expectation of getting something in return and if we don’t comply we usually feel the wrath of their pain and disappointment.

God’s ways are not our ways. Therefore, we must break the habit of relating to God based on the relationships we have had with others. God is not like us and if we don’t get this we will never be able to fully receive God’s love because we will see ourselves as undeserving and unable to meet what we perceive to be God’s expectations for us. Romans 5:7-8 (NLT) tells us “Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. ⁸But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

God does not give with the expectation of getting something in return. God gives because He loves us and wants to supply and furnish us with everything we need to live the abundant life that He sent Jesus to make available. This is what John 3:16 means when it says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”