Freed From and Freed To

Saturday - May 1st

Scripture to Read Today: Romans 6:11-22

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You have been set free from sin and

have become slaves to righteousness.

Romans 6:18

Archie Williams' story of being wrongfully convicted on rape and attempted murder charges went viral in May of 2020. Williams was incarcerated at Angola Prison in Louisiana for 37 years. Though released in the previous year, his story spread like fire on social media last year. The Innocence Project and Innocence Project New Orleans aided in his exoneration and release in 2019. I have personally spent several days inside Angola Prison ministering to inmates and their kids who came to visit for a special day between incarcerated dads and their children.

Since gaining his freedom, Williams has been living in New Orleans. He spent time with an aunt in Long Beach, California, while he competed on America's Got Talent last fall. He was a fan of the show and watched it in prison.

He found himself in the finals of the talent competition. His heart-rendering performances of their songs led to calls of encouragement from Elton John and Stevie Wonder. Wonder wrote and performed a song on the show with Williams. Archie believes he was freed from prison so that he could be freed to sing.

As followers of Christ, we are freed from sin. But, we are not just released from our sin and selfishness. "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness" (Romans 6:18). We are freed to live in righteousness. Because of the salvation that is ours in the Lord, we can now joyfully and willfully do what pleases Him.

Are some old patterns of wrong holding you back from thoroughly enjoying the liberty you have in Christ? Maybe you have slipped back into things that you thought were gone from your life. As we emerge from the year of COVID, we have a fresh opportunity to demonstrate our freedom from sin and our freedom to live and love like Jesus!

Ask God to show you areas where you have allowed the old master of sin to reemerge. Confess those sins to Him. Ask His Spirit to give you new steps of righteousness as you move forward.

Like Archie Williams, we are freed FROM something and freed TO something. We are liberated from sin and free to live in obedience to Christ! What freedom!

When you know Jesus, sin is no longer your master. You are free to serve Christ and to live in His righteousness!