Jesus through his death and resurrection freed us from sin because he loves us so much.
 As Paul tells us he didn’t lay down his life when we were friends and deserving of this act. 
He chose to give his life, to die in our place when we were his enemies. He loved us that
much.  As a result we are not slaves any longer.

He calls us to be who we are meant to be: Adopted sons and daughters of a Father who
loves us and desires us to live in the freedom of his love. For it is real, authentic, selfless
 love that sets us free. Jesus manifested this love on the cross. It is love that will enable
and empower us to remain free in him.  And it is our response to love with love that
 guarantees that this gift of freedom will last.

The story of the eagle who grew up as a chick with chickens. Like the chickens it pecked
 and pecked on the ground for food. It never went further than the environment it was
accustomed to and it flew only for a few feet like the other chickens.  One day as it
 looked up, it saw an eagle soaring high above. As it gaze at the sight, it said aloud:
I wish I could fly like that, but I can’t because I am a chicken.”  It never knew it was
an eagle and could soar.  All the other chickens laughed at the eagle and said you can
never do that. You are a chicken like us.” Full freedom comes from true self-identity
and accepting and acting on that true self-identity. Be who you are in fact. Don’t accept
the lie which limits you.  Don’t buy into the lie that keeps you from being fully who you
 are and are meant to be and who you can become.(To be continued)