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Imagine for one moment that you were shackled by the weight of unbearable chains, a burden that brought you’re entire physical body to a painful slouch. Because of our enemy and sin, this is the dismal spiritual state of so many college students, even for those who’ve confessed faith in Christ. They’re overwhelmed by sin, circumstances or other factors that wage war against their friendship with Jesus.

Romans 6:14-18 destroys the lie that we must stay addicted to sin, saying, “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace…. But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to [the gospel], and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

Our regional conference, called “Radiate: Be Free” in Baltimore, MD, focused on this very issue over the winter break. After a grueling fall semester, students got to engage God’s Word as speaker after speaker carried along this theme: that Jesus not only forgives our sin but because of grace and the Holy Spirit’s power, he also sets us free from bondage to sin.

Jesus conquered sin, hell, Satan and the wrath of God that we might not only experience his loving justification–HIS righteousness given to us— but his empowering sanctification—HIS life imputed to us. Grace abounds all the more in our walks when we trust Jesus is living in and through us.

Dashawn Simms, a student actively involved in the Jersey Metro mission, who grabbed hold of Christ because he “could no longer handle life on his own,” says that God greatly encouraged him at the conference.

“He loves us no matter how we mess up,” he shared. “Jesus died for me and everyone on this earth.”

When we asked him how God has used the experience in his day-to-day life, he said, “Trust in him always. He can give you what you need.”

Dashawn is trusting the Holy Spirit to enable him as a student leader on his campus, so the person and work of Jesus might be made known to the lost. At Radiate, students and staff also evangelized in the city and packed seeds for needy families across the world.

We’re so thankful that God has granted us the privilege of working with students for the cause of the gospel .We’re thankful that we have been grace-saved and are being grace-made. Jesus gets glory, and we get joy. Amen!

Enjoy this video of worship from Radiate!