2 CORINTHIANS 3:17 | FREEDOM

2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

Freedom is not just a condition; it's a place. We get close to freedom when we get near the Spirit of God. It really is this simple.

There are many promises throughout the Bible, like this one, that seem simple but can be hard to access. That’s easy for Paul to say, but what about in my home church? What about in my family or in my personal time of prayer?

I don’t see the enemy waging war on complicated or nuanced aspects of the Christian faith like I do on simple things like our identity in Christ, reading the scriptures, living in the freedom of the Spirit, or living in love. Recognize that each one of these fundamentals is backed by a simple verse. Genesis tells us that God made us in his image. David tells us in Psalms that if we hide God’s word in our hearts, we will overcome sin. Paul writes in Romans that to live by the Spirit is life and peace. Jesus taught us to love one another.

There is no secret about these commands. So simple and accessible are these promises that the enemy’s only possible path to victory is deception. He will try to convince us that it is complicated. He will tell us that the promises are for others and not for us. He will beat us down with shame and insecurities. He will twist people’s words in hopes that our hearts will get hard.

Can you see that the truth of God’s word is a singular path forward and that the enemy attempts to broaden and clutter the simple gospel?

2 Corinthians 3:17 is an anchor for our journey of freedom today. I want to invite you to a prayer exercise with me. Set an alarm clock for 5 minutes. Close your eyes and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. You can peek if you don’t remember the verse. Meditate on the verse for today in your mind and your heart. As a thought or feeling emerges that contradicts the truth of this verse, simply pray, “I know that isn’t true because where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Stay in this place of prayer until the alarm goes off. Feel free to pick a longer time of 10-20 minutes and repeat if God is working in your life.

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