Come Forth

Written by Dawn Rutan

Recently I was reading a fiction book by Staci Stallings that included the following comment in a pastor’s sermon, “Over and over again, He says, ‘I understand. I understand. I know what you’re going through. I’ve been there, but you don’t have to stay there. See, I have rolled back the stone on your tomb too.’” That created an interesting mental picture for me. How often does God have to remind us that we don’t have to live in the tomb anymore? Our subconscious thoughts are often like this:

• “I’ve sinned; excuse me while I go sit in the tomb.”
• “I’m angry; I want to be alone in my hole.”
• “Someone hurt me; just let me curl up in my cave.”
• “I’m a failure; I don’t deserve to come into the light.”

But God keeps saying “The stone has been rolled away! Come out into life and light. My Son took care of every sin and shame so you can walk in freedom. This tomb is not your home anymore.” Jesus asked the man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:6 ESV), “Do you want to be healed?” In other words, do you want to leave behind what is familiar and comfortable and come out of your tomb?

Sometimes we invite others to join us in our tombs by seeking sympathy rather than the encouragement and help to find our way out. We indulge in gossip, slander, and bitterness rather than forgiving. And sometimes we put others back in their tombs through shame and judgmentalism rather than helping them to find freedom in Christ. We also have an enemy who is glad to make us think we’re still dead in our trespasses and sins in order to keep us from being who God has called us to be and doing all He has called us to do (Ephesians 2:4-10).

The New Testament writers felt the need to remind believers of their true freedom:

• “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16).
• “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17).
• “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).

As with all areas of the Christian life, we have to know the truth in order to live by it. Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free… So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:31-32, 36). This knowing and testing is the process of transforming the mind set out in Romans 12:1-2.

I don’t know about you, but I want to live in greater freedom, no longer bound by the old grave clothes.