You may know Brandon Lake the singer of “Gratitude” and as a member of Maverick City Music, a contemporary worship music collective. Brandon started a vlog series with his wife and kids where they show a behind-the-scenes look into their world. In a recent episode, he shares what it was like making a record with the residents of a Florida prison. Check it out:
The Spirit of God is not bound to a building or limited by fence lines. This is a concept that we’ve heard expressed a million times, but it’s something completely different when you experience it. And Brandon experienced just that. In the process of making a record inside the walls of a prison, he came face to face with the reality of freedom.
The tangible presence of God and the freedom found in Jesus doesn’t always show up in the most likely of places. We expect God to reveal himself during a church service or Bible study but sometimes we’re surprised when He makes himself known in the very places He said He would.
We often take freedom for granted because for most of us, we are not physically restrained. However, when we take a moment to remember what we’ve been set free from, we can’t help but worship the only God who makes it possible. Through Jesus we experience freedom in very tangible ways.
For Brandon, it took a group of inmates worshipping and celebrating freedom behind bars to remind him of the freedom provided to us through the gospel. And it should be a reminder to us also. Here are 6 reminders of the freedom we have when Jesus is Lord of our life:
We are free from guilt.
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” – Romans 8:1-2
We are free from shame.
“For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.'” – Romans 10:10-11
We are free from wrath.
“And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.” – Romans 5:9
We are free from death.
“And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News.” – 2 Timothy 1:10
We are free from the law.
“But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’ Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.” – Galatians 3:13-14
We are free from darkness.
“For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” – Colossians 1:13-14
Just like these men experiencing freedom from the confines of prison, you too can experience freedom anywhere because God can make himself known anywhere.
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