Breaking Free

Many Christians today are saved but still bound - trapped in religious traditions, addictions, and mindsets that keep them from experiencing true freedom in Christ. The story of Lazarus provides a powerful picture of this reality: Jesus raised him from death, but he still needed to be loosed from his grave clothes.

The Difference Between Salvation and Freedom

When Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb, he came forth alive but still wrapped in burial garments. This perfectly illustrates how many believers today are spiritually alive through salvation but remain bound by:

• Religious traditions and legalism

• Addictions and fleshly habits

• Fear and anxiety

• Past trauma and shame

• Worldly mindsets and thinking patterns

  
  

Being saved isn't enough - God wants His people completely free. Jesus didn't just raise Lazarus; He commanded the disciples to "loose him and let him go" (John 11:44).

Breaking Free from Religious Grave Clothes

The grave clothes belong to the dead, not the living. When Christ sets you free, you are free indeed (John 8:36). But many Christians continue wearing the garments of death because they:

1. Don't realize they can be fully free

2. Feel condemned by past sins and failures

3. Allow religious traditions to bind them

4. Fear what others might think

5. Haven't renewed their minds with truth

   
   

True freedom comes through knowing who you are in Christ, standing on God's Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform you, walking in the authority Jesus gave you, and helping others get free.

The Church's Role in Setting People Free

Notice that Jesus told the disciples to loose Lazarus. As believers today, we have a vital role in helping others experience total freedom in Christ. This happens through:

• Speaking truth in love

• Discipleship and mentoring

• Prayer and intercession

• Teaching sound doctrine

• Walking in authentic relationship

When someone receives Christ, they need mature believers to help "unwrap" the grave clothes of their old life. Too often, the church condemns rather than helps those struggling to walk in freedom.

Walking in Reality-Based Freedom

First Peter 2:24 declares "by His stripes we are healed." This isn't just spiritual truth - it's reality. When Christ sets you free, you are free indeed. The word "indeed" means "in fact, in reality, in truth."

Therefore, don't let the enemy convince you you're still bound. Stand on God's Word regardless of feelings. Speak truth over your life daily. Help others walk in their freedom. Remember freedom is your inheritance

A Call to Action

It's time for the Church to rise up and walk in total freedom. The world needs to see believers who are truly free - not just saved, but completely delivered from everything that binds.

Take these steps today:

1. Identify any "grave clothes" still binding you

2. Ask God to show you areas needing freedom

3. Find mature believers to pray with you

4. Begin speaking truth over your life

5. Help someone else get free

Remember: You are free indeed through Christ. Don't let religious tradition, fear, or the enemy's lies keep you bound. Rise up, shake off those grave clothes, and walk in the total freedom Jesus died to give you.

The choice is yours - will you continue wearing grave clothes, or step into the glorious freedom Christ purchased for you?

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." - Galatians 5:1