The signboard message said “Freedom in Christ.” But don’t many people prefer their own notion of freedom; a freedom apart from Christ? A freedom FROM God? 
Some may not understand the freedom that God offers, and instead they might prefer to have freedom to ignore God. They might be more apt to ask the following and choose the second option:
FREEDOM IN CHRIST
OR
FREEDOM FROM CHRIST?
The “God Questions”
Every human being eventually needs to come to grips with the “God Questions.” Questions like the following need to be answered… 
- Does God exist?
- Does God know that I exist?
- Does God care that I exist?
- Does God care what I do with my life?
- Should I care if God cares or not?
Even before we open a Bible or get into any religion, we need to wade into these questions and come to an answer that makes sense to us; even if that answer changes over the course of our lives.
Free FROM God
Many people choose to answer the “God Questions” with mostly “Nos.” It’s more comfortable to be rid of God and to not worry about it. Their thinking might go something like this:
- NO- God doesn’t exist.
- … And even if He did, He doesn’t care.
- … … And even if He does care, there’s nothing I can do about it;
He’s a ruthless judge and there’s no use trying to please Him.
So, I might as well go it alone and take my chances. Take advantage of the short time I have on this earth and “go for the gusto.”
Free IN Christ
But there’s another way: Maybe God really DOES care about us. Maybe God DOES want to have a relationship with us (and we do need to care about whether or not God cares). If that’s true, then God DOES care about our actions.
Here’s what David wrote about God (in Psalm 139:1-4)…
Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.
And so the next question is: If God knows all about me, is He happy with what He sees? Is God pleased with me?
In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul talks about that churchy word, “Sin.” But he’s not trying to make us feel guilty or to shame us into repenting or becoming more devout church members. In this chapter, “sin” is something that robs us of of being at peace if we answer “Yes” to the God Questions. Sin is something that enslaves us and tangles us up, preventing us from becoming all that God has called us to be. Sin prevents us from enjoying the blessings that God wants to give us.
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires;
but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
Romans 8:5-8
God does want us to become obedient children. But Sin keeps getting in the way and it keeps dulling our relationship with God.
But we are free to answer “Yes” to all of the “God Questions”! Paul opens this chapter with the following claim (Romans 8:1-2):
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
No condemnation! Free!!!
True- God’s not pleased with many of the things we do, but He doesn’t condemn us. Instead, if we want to change and if we trust the fact that Jesus paid for our sins, we are free from worrying about our sins. We are free to receive all of the good things in life that come from having a relationship with God instead of dealing with guilt and struggling to make the most out of life by on our own terms.
Freedom that Makes the Most out of Life
And so, we don’t have to be free of God. We don’t have to think that God doesn’t exist, and then worry about our purpose in life. We don’t have to think that God is a ruthless judge, and then worry if we’re pleasing Him or not.
Instead, God gives us the option of being “Free in Christ“; of being free to know that God loves us and that He is able to forgive our mistakes and to help us to move on.
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
-Ephesians 3:12
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