Forum 8B- Free Born

While reading the story of the arrest of Paul at the temple in Jerusalem, I was struck by some of his words. He said "I was free born." (Acts 22: 28) What a powerful statement.

Now I know that this statement has a very specific context. Paul had just claimed the rights of his Roman citizenship and the chief captain of the band of soldiers that had him in custody was verifying it. Roman citizenship was not given like citizenship today. Just being born in the Roman Empire did give you the rights of a full Roman citizen. There were even different degrees of citizenship. Higher levels of citizenship could be earned in military service, awarded for service to the state, granted as a favor by someone in power, or something similar. However, a child born to Roman citizens was given their status. Being a citizen in a conquered country gave you extra rights and protection. So in this instance, Paul was laying claim to the legal rights associated with his status as a citizen.

That;s all very well and nice and has interesting implications for later, but I love thinking about the concept of being "free born" outside of the context of that particular moment. Think about it. We are all "free born." The second Article of Faith states that "we believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression." That means that when we are born, we are born free of sin. At that moment, we are unstained and innocent. We do not remain that way, but when we begin life, we begin by being free.

It is our choices as we grow up that entangle us. Not just sins and misdeeds, but we are also caught in distractions and habits. How often do we find time or options sucked away because of something we had chosen earlier? Sins and mistakes also trap us in places we do not want to be with consequences that are difficult to face.

But through Christ's Atonement, we become free again. When we take advantage of the sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf, He loosens the bands that we have put around ourselves and frees us from the pain and suffering that have come. Christ's Atonement is infinite and eternal and applies at all times. It applied the moment that we were born ("all little children are alive in Christ" -Moroni 8:22), it applies now, and it will apply to each of us in the future. Christ's choice to take our sins and pains and everything upon Him made it so that we, like Paul, are "free born."

It doesn't matter what your past has been or what mistakes you have made. In Christ, all are "free born" and are able to be free through the miracle of His Atonement. "Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him" is my invitation to you. (Moroni 10: 32) Leave your sins and your pain behind and learn of the Savior who has made it possible for us to all be "free born."