True Freedom in Christ

1 Nephi 21:9

That thou mayest say to the prisoners: Go forth; to them that sit in darkness: Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.

The atonement of Christ frees me from the confinement of sin and guilt and brings me into God's light. I may think I am free when I break away from the strait and narrow path of my covenants, but I soon find that my newfound liberty is also confining. My satisfactions are temporary, and my happiness is fleeting. 

Poor choices become addictions from which I can hardly break free. The road of sin is even narrower than the path of righteousness, and rather than leading upward, it leads downward. 

I rob myself of peace and settle instead for carnal gratification, which must constantly be fed, consuming all my time and attention. 

I eventually figure out that true freedom is in Christ. He frees me from fear ("be not afraid"), worry ("take no thought, i.e., concern, for tomorrow"), turmoil ("peace be unto you"), doubt ("handle me and see"), guilt ("her sins, which are many, are forgiven" "neither do I condemn you, go, and sin no more"), confusion ("follow me"), exhaustion ("come unto me, and I will give you rest"), and darkness ("I am the light of the world"). Obeying Satan and the natural man is an ever more confining path that begins as flaxen cords and turns into iron chains, whereas obeying God lifts us to greater heights and broader opportunities. 

The choice between being a prisoner of Satan and a prisoner of Christ is pretty obvious to me.

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