There is nothing more beautiful than being free in this life. Being free is one of the most important things that many nations and peoples of the world strive to have. But in the spiritual sense, being free from sins is what the servants of God want in their lives. Whoever comes near to God must be freed in their sins and be under the authority of God. (James 4: 7) Anyone who is under the authority of God must show their absolute obedience to His will and commands.

How does God lock up those people under His will?

The Bible explains that before we are servants of God, we live according to our own will and not of God’s. We walk according to the ways of this wicked world and we don’t care if we are doing the right thing or not.

We do not give glory to God instead we do things that He really condemns. We are far and separated from Him because of our transgressions. But God’s mercy and love towards us made Him forget all our iniquities and sins. He had forgiven our sins and from being dead, we were raise by Christ and have been born again.

Eph 2:2-5  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Thus, the love and mercy of God changed our condition from worst to being holy in His sight. From being a slave of sins, we are now freed but locked up with His will. The Bible says the servants of God must be brought into one fold, and must be taken care of by one Pastor, that is, by God.

Joh 10:16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Notice that the servants of God were called God’s sheep because their characteristics were seen to be totally obedient to the will and commands of God.

Joh 10:3-4  The gatekeeper opens the gate for him; the sheep hear his voice as he calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out. When he has brought them out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice.

Like what Apostle Paul said, servants of God were freed from their sins but now, they are slaves of God’s righteousness.  (Romans 6:18)

As was said, they were brought unto a fold, that fold is no other than the place were God’s sheeps can be found, which Christ had purchased with His own blood. This fold is the church of God, where God brought all His servants, primarily the Apostles.

Act 20:28  Give attention to yourselves, and to all the flock which the Holy Spirit has given into your care, to give food to the church of God, for which he gave his blood.

1Co 1:1-2  Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the purpose of God, and Sosthenes the brother, To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been made holy in Christ Jesus, saints by the selection of God, with all those who in every place give honour to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

After God brought the servants to His fold and be slaves of His righteousness, what does God expect from them?  What do these servants of God must strive to do, now that they are inside God’s fold?

Php 3:9  and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith.

It is clear in this verse that servants no longer have the freedom to do their own will like they were doing before entering God’s fold. If they really made themselves under the authority of God, then they have to do things according to the faith given to them, that is the righteousness based on faith.

No longer, we serve Him with our own pleasure and will, serving God according to our own knowledge and understanding is not at all submission to His will.

Rom 10:1-3  Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

And if we as servants of God through the will of God can do all what He desires us to do, not according to our own way of serving Him, then we must always think that these are all part of being a servant, and as a servant we must always be submissive to the will of our Master, the creator and God.

Luk 17:10  It is the same with you; when you have done all you have been told to do, say, ‘We are ordinary servants; we have only done our duty.’ “

And we give proof that we walk according to the righteousness of Christ, that His will is totally governing us and has a total control over us, through the supervision of the Holy Spirit which was given to each and everyone of us.

Rom 8:9  But you do not live as your human nature tells you to; instead, you live as the Spirit tells you to—if, in fact, God’s Spirit lives in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

This is a big challenge to each of us, to give proof that we really received the Spirit of God, and testify that it is working on us. Thus, we give proof that we indeed receive it by showing that we turn away from all the deceits of the devil, and all the things that are abominations in God’s eyes do not triumph in us anymore.

Therefore, we need to put to death the bodies which are of earth, that is, the elements in us that causes us to sin against God. Rom 8:13  For if you go in the way of the flesh, death will come on you; but if by the Spirit you put to death the works of the body, you will have life. We don’t live according to the flesh, but through the spirit of God and His righteousness.

Col 3:5-9  Then put to death your bodies which are of the earth; wrong use of the flesh, unclean things, passion, evil desires and envy, which is the worship of strange gods; Because of which the wrath of God comes on those who go against his orders; Among whom you were living in the past, when you did such things. But now it is right for you to put away all these things; wrath, passion, bad feeling, curses, unclean talk; Do not make false statements to one another; because you have put away the old man with all his doings,

What will happen if we don’t put to death the elements in us which causes us to sin against God?

If we can’t stop these bad elements in us, we can be slave again by the sins which enslaved us before. This is one thing that we can’t let happen to us, not once again because we are already freed from the sins of this world.

Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my body, working against the law of my mind, and making me the servant of the law of sin which is in my flesh.

We are slaves of deceits before, and never again must we let ourselves to be governed by these deciets.  2Ti 2:26  And so they may get themselves free from the net of the Evil One, being made the prisoners of the Lord’s servant, for the purpose of God.

To give warning and wake up call to all the brethren before, Apostle Pauls says, Be awake to righteousness and keep yourselves from sin; for some have no knowledge of God: I say this to put you to shame. (1Co 15:34)

Above all these, while we continue to experience God’s grace and love through His calling, God expects us to be thankful, more obedient to His will and commands, and show more perseverance in spiritual matters such as preaching His words, lending our help to the needy, more fellowship among us, more prayers and contemplations.

1Ti 1:12  I give praise to him who gave me power, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he took me to be true, making me his servant…