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Romans 6:7–8 “Because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.”

Think

You can be free and still feel stuck. That might sound like a contradiction, but if you’ve walked with Jesus for more than a few days, you’ve probably experienced it. You believe you're forgiven. You trust that grace is real. But some days, you still feel tangled up in the same struggles you thought were buried at the cross.

Paul, writing to early believers, knew this tension. In Romans 6, he’s not trying to shame them into acting better. He’s reminding them of what’s already true. “Anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” Not might be. Not will be someday. Already is.

This is a legal declaration, not just a motivational slogan. If you are in Christ, your status before God has permanently changed. The guilt of your sin is gone. The power of your sin has been broken. The old you is no longer in charge. That’s the starting point.

But here’s the tension: we often confuse freedom with feeling free. Paul says you’ve been set free, but that doesn’t mean you automatically know how to live like it. Freedom has been given, but freedom still has to be learned.

It’s a little like being released from prison. Imagine someone who’s been behind bars for years. One day, their sentence is up, and the gates open wide. Legally, they’re free. But emotionally, mentally, and practically, they might not feel that way. They might still flinch when they hear a door slam. They might still wake up thinking they're locked in. They might struggle to navigate life on the outside, even though they no longer belong to the system that once confined them.

That’s the spiritual journey Paul is describing. Your old self has died. You’ve been set free. But you’re still learning how to walk in that freedom. And learning means patience. Learning means grace. Learning means stumbling forward without giving up.

Paul says, “If we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” This is the hope of the gospel—not just that Jesus died for us, but that we now live with him. His life becomes the source of our life. His power becomes the engine of our transformation.

Notice Paul ties living with Jesus to believing, not achieving. He doesn’t say, “If you act like Christ, then you’ll be united with him.” He says, “If you died with Christ, and you believe it, then you also live with him.” Faith is the bridge. And the more you walk across that bridge, the more you start to experience what’s already yours.

That’s where a lot of us get stuck. We believe Jesus forgives us, but we don’t always believe we’ve truly changed. So we keep circling the same mountains. We fight the same battles. We assume that if freedom were real, we wouldn’t struggle anymore. But struggling doesn’t mean freedom isn’t real. It means you’re in training. It means you’re not giving in.

Think of a child learning to walk. They don’t fall once and give up. They wobble, stumble, fall again, and keep trying. Why? Because walking is now part of who they’re becoming. And no good parent shames their child for falling. In fact, falling is proof that movement is happening.

God sees your growth the same way. You’re not falling back into chains. You’re learning how to walk without them. And every time you choose truth over lies, obedience over impulse, worship over worry—you’re learning how to live free.

There’s a word for this process: sanctification. It means the Spirit is shaping you into the likeness of Christ. Slowly. Thoroughly. Sometimes painfully. But always lovingly. It’s not just about sinning less. It’s about becoming more alive to the things of God. Your freedom isn’t just from something. It’s for something. You’ve been set free to live with Christ. Not someday. Now.

Living with Christ means his presence is always with you. It means his Spirit is your companion. It means you have access to the wisdom, strength, and joy that can only come from him. This isn’t a spiritual theory. It’s a daily reality. Christ is not just over you. He is with you and in you.

But you have to believe it. Not just intellectually, but practically. That means when sin tempts you, you say, “I don’t have to say yes. I’ve died to that.” When shame tries to settle in, you remind yourself, “That’s not who I am anymore.” When fear whispers lies about your identity, you fight back with what God says is true.

Freedom isn’t about getting it right every time. It’s about returning to what’s already true every time you fall. The chains are broken. The prison is open. You’re free. Now you’re just learning to walk like it.

You may not feel strong. That’s okay. Jesus didn’t save you because you were strong. He saves you because he’s strong, and he walks with you as you learn. You may feel like you're still dragging old patterns around. But every step of faith, every moment of surrender, every act of obedience loosens their grip. So today, don’t just believe that you’re saved. Believe that you’re free. And keep learning to live like it, stumbles, scars, and all.

Apply

Choose one old mindset or behavior that still tries to claim space in your life. Write it down and then, underneath it, write: “I’ve been set free from this.” Throughout the day, whenever you feel pulled back into that old pattern, pause and say: “Jesus, teach me how to walk free.”

Pray

Jesus, thank you that I’ve been set free through your death and resurrection. I confess that I don’t always live like I believe it. Help me not just know the truth, but trust it. Teach me to walk in the freedom you’ve already given me. Show me what it looks like to live with you, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.