For Freedom’s Sake

When Christ sets us free it’s never only for ourselves. “It is for freedom’s sake that Christ has set us free.” Galatians 5:1 NIV

Christ frees us so that we can go back and free others. Whatever bondage, mistake, lie, habit, fear, struggle, trial you overcome and gain freedom from makes you equipped to go back and get somebody else out.

Because you know the path you can show the path.

Jesus told Peter, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren,” Luke 22:31,32.

Satan has to ask before he can begin to sift anyone of God’s children.

The word sift means “to make a careful examination, to put through a sieve or straining in order to separate the fine from the coarse particles.” God gives satan the permission to put His children through this process for the purpose of separating not the wheat from the tares, but the coarse parts of the wheat from the fine. However, satan hopes that through this process of examination in which we, God’s wheat are strained, we will also be scattered in our souls, so much so that we cannot become whole again.

But God…

Even though satan would like nothing more than to destroy and scatter the soul of the believer, God in His infinite wisdom has a better plan than him. Freedom has already been granted to us, sifting simply proves it. Jesus knowing all things including the times of sifting granted to satan has already prayed for you and me.

The Lord has need of you.

His prayer is that our faith will not fail during the sifting process, not just for your sake but also because He has need of you. Jesus told Peter, when, not if he returned unto Him (because Peter had already been identified as wheat) to go strengthen – meaning to establish, convert, set free, set straight, and turn others back to Jesus.

This sifting, if your faith does not fail will bring you into the freedom Christ has wrought you, but not just for you, it is for freedom’s sake so that you can go back and free others.

Beloved, if you have gone through the process of being sifted through to freedom, you owe it to the Lord who prayed for you to go back and free others.