Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is well known for his “I have a Dream Speech”, but Dr. King also wrote a famous letter from jail called, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. This letter is in response to white religious leaders criticism of his nonviolent objection to the segregation in Birmingham. After reading the letter, a person of common understanding and common sense would have to agree that even though Dr. King was in jail, jail was not in Dr. King.

So many Christians walk around daily out of jail with a jail mentality. In other words, whom the Son sets free is free indeed, does not invade their consciousness. They are trapped by their own thoughts and the thoughts of others. It is as though they were in a real jail cell and the door to the cell is unlocked, but they sit there as though the door were locked. God has set them free. They have been pardoned for their sins. Chains of inferiority no longer bind them. Whatever names they were called growing up have bound them, and even though freedom has come, they act as prisoners.

When Adam chose to eat the apple and disobey God, his spirit died that day. Adam did not die for many years. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are born again, not in the natural but in the supernatural, you now are a new creation. Man is a spirit, with a soul (mind, will, emotions), and a body. Your spirit is born again and now you have a divine spirit. When you die, that spirit leaves your body and goes to live in Heaven with Jesus. As a Christian that rebirth cleansed you of all sin and furthermore, you are not a sinner anymore. You are a child of God who sins, but your nature is not a sinner. Before you were born again, you had issues: such as anger, lying, stealing, dishonesty et cetera. The Bible tells us to renew our mind with the Word of God and the Word will transform us.

So if you used to steal, steal no more. You are no longer a “thief”. But you may ask, “How is that possible, I was a thief for so long?” Jesus was on the cross bearing all the sin of the world and on either side of Him were two thieves. One of them mocked Jesus and the other had the good sense to ask Jesus to remember him in His Kingdom. Jesus said to the smart thief, “Verily I say unto thee, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” The man was no longer a “thief” but he was changed and headed for paradise.

No more. If you have been set free, then walk in freedom. Declare today no longer am I bound, but rather I walk in the freedom for which Jesus set me free. I am no longer bound to drugs. I am no longer bound to thinking I am not worthy.  I am no longer bound to any addiction; I am no longer bound to living a mediocre life. I am no longer bound to repeat the mistakes I have been making.  I am no longer bound to settle for less than what God wants for my life. I am no longer bound by the voices against me at work. I am no longer bound by what the enemy tells me I am.

I am free to be what the great I AM tells me that I am. My God tells me I am His child. My God tells me I am His greatest creation. My God says I am more than a conqueror through His son Jesus Christ. My God says I am wonderfully and beautifully made. My God says He has a great plan for my life. My God has a hope and future for my life.

I will finish my course with freedom in Jesus. Even as Dr. King wrote a letter from jail explaining his actions. I will become a letter of God’s freedom for everyone to read. I will remember that FREEDOM is not free; it cost Jesus His very life. Thank you Jesus!