Free at Last

 

Once we walk with God for any amount of time, the spiritual life is more familiar and natural to us, than the ungodly, sinful lifestyle we lived before we were Born Again. We are uncomfortable around sin now. Watching, listening to and speaking sinful words or concepts are no longer entertaining. The Spirit of God within us is grieved over what grieves God’s heart. Our self-life is no longer supreme, and the will of God transforms any goals or desires we used to entertain.

Satan wants us to believe that we are helpless victims of the flesh, the world and his demons; however, with every temptation, God gives us a way to escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). When we draw near to God and resist the devil, he has to flee from us (James 4:7). The more we mature spiritually, the less Satan finds in us to tempt us (John 14:30). Christ truly reigns as the master over our life. God’s divine nature now dictates our thoughts, words and deeds (2 Peter 1:4).

As God renews our mind, we move from one level of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18). We are holy, as God is holy, through the blood of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:10,14,19). We live a holy life because of our intense love for the Lord and His Kingdom. Holiness is our new nature and we despise whatever grieves God. We no longer exhibit the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21); but instead, the fruit of the Spirit shines from both our spirit and soul (Galatians 5:22-23).

This is not to say that we refrain from serving or socializing with the “publicans and sinners”; but we no longer imitate their behavior. We love them with the heart and mind of Christ. Our carnal nature is dead (1 Corinthians 2:16; Ephesians 2:5; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3). We no longer entertain sinful desires. We realize once and for all time that we are free indeed (John 8:36). What used to tempt us no longer has any value to us. Our only desire is to please our Heavenly Father.

Prayer:

Father God, we may have certain sinful habits that linger over the years of Your regenerating work within us, but there is no way that they can persist as we walk by Your Spirit (Galatians 5:16,25). Our yoke is easy and our burden is light, because they come from You (Matthew 11:30). We relate to life, people and government on a daily basis, but we allow Your Spirit to give us wisdom and direction on the best way to influence our sphere of society.

Thought for the Day:

Jesus is not ashamed to call us His family. - Hebrews 2:11

 

 

Free at Last

 

God gave us the law to bring us to the realization that we can never keep it and to point us to our Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus set us free from the law, because He writes His law in our hearts (Hebrews 8:10; Romans 8:2). We obey them instinctively. We are no longer separate, but we are one with both our Father and the Son (John 17:11, 21-23). We live and move and have our being only in Him (Acts 17:28). We stop courting our own way of life or pursuing our goals, ambitions and desires.

As long as we insist on working “for” God, we are like the foolish Galatians (3:1-3). We try in our own strength and effort to please God. Until we realize that our old human nature is dead and passed away. Everything about us is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). We live only for Christ now, just as He lived only for our Father. We are united with Christ in God, and Christ is our only way, truth and life (Colossians 3:3-4; John 14:6).

God and Christ have a difference in manifestation, with Christ being Immanuel, the physical form of God; and also in persons, with God as the Father and Jesus as the Son. However, Jesus states that He and our Father are one. Due to their union, Christ who dwells in us by His Spirit unites us with the Trinity (John 17:21). We do greater works than He did, because His Spirit abides within each one of us (John 14:12). We are His instruments for righteousness (Romans 6:4-11).

When we stand firm in the power of Christ’s might (Ephesians 6:10-12), we withstand the devil and all of his demons. We are no longer slaves to sin or under the penalty of the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). Jesus took our sins and nailed them to the cross, giving us His righteousness in exchange (2 Corinthians 5:21). We are raised to walk in freedom in this new life, not to indulge our flesh, but as an expression of Christ in the earth.

Prayer:

Father God, as long as we hold onto the barest shred of carnality, we hinder our union with the Lover of our soul. Our only hope is to totally surrender as Your Spirit crucifies the desires of our flesh, especially when they attempt to retake control our life. Help us to completely surrender to Your holy virtues through our life in Your Spirit. Use us to improve the quality of nature in our city and to nurture the hurting lives, which live all around us. Remind us that we serve as Your representatives for spiritual change in the sphere of life all around us.

Thought for the Day:

Without total death to our carnal, self-life, we have no hope of living in the freedom of a passionate walk with our Lord.