Freed in Christ… Both ways!

In Christ we are freed in two ways. 

* We are freed from the condemnation of our failure to love God and others as we are designed. A failure that keeps us in a subtle but constant state of guilt and shame (for more discussion on why we experience constant guilt and shame click here). 

This is a change of status or standing before God which is based solely on Christs efforts and performance instead of ours.

* We are also freed from addictions and destructive behavior by these being replaced with something exceedingly and infinitely more satisfying and captivating.

At the heart of addiction is a longing to ease pain and to acquire pleasure. However what we usually seek does not work and even harms and sometimes destroys us.

We need something that is constant, lasting, fulfilling, life-giving (not life taking),.. in short we need infinite, eternal love. 

Infinite love only comes from an infinite, eternal source. The infinite eternal source of God himself in and through Christ.

The first freedom comes from a change of status or standing. The second results in a change of our day to day behavior. The second springs forth out of the first and occurs only when the first is clearly understood and believed. 

#Love #Captivating #Eternal #ThoughtsAboutGod #ThotsAboutGod