Song of the Day
“We Are Free Forever” by Eagleville Bible Church
Scripture to reflect upon
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Devotional thought
“Either sin is with you, lying on your shoulders, or it is lying on Christ, the Lamb of God. Now if it is lying on your back, you are lost; but if it is resting on Christ, you are free, and you will be saved. Now choose what you want.”
Martin Luther
Only those who have lived under, and understand, the crippling affects of dictatorship truly understand the relief that comes with liberation! Sin is the greatest dictator ever! It is the most crippling, demanding, and ruthless force in the world. And everyone has to wrestle with its desire for our submission.
Enter the Advocate – Jesus Christ! An Advocate is someone that fights for another in the court of law. But the Advocate we have in Christ Jesus takes it even farther than that, He walks alongside and assists us, helps us to overcome the tyranny of sin! He died to sin once for all so that everyone who believes in Him might walk free from the power and penalty of it!
Romans 6 talks about the reality that we used to be slaves to sin and evil passions within us, but now that we have Christ in our life we are slaves to righteousness! We are freed now to choose to walk in righteous and holy ways, rejecting the influence and power that sin once had over us. The freedom Christ purchased for us is more of a freedom to CHOOSE! To choose righteousness!
“If Christ has set you free, then you are free indeed” is what John 8:36 says. Again in Galatians 5:1 we are told that we have been made free, but that we should not use that freedom as a way to go back into bondage. Then Paul goes into one of the best explanations of how to remain free as a Christ follower in the rest of Galatians chapter 5, discussing the choice we have to either walk in the flesh or to crucify the flesh and walk in the Spirit!
Living free means denying the power of sin in our life and choosing instead to live as God would have us live! Freedom is a big deal because it allows us to reject the tyranny and damaging effects of sin as we listen to our Advocate who is helping us and fighting for us to walk free of its power! Freedom allows us the privilege to choose our master! Because we are free, we can choose our destiny, we can reject anything that harms us, and we can embrace the righteous lifestyle that God wants us to live!
It is all because of freedom, and freedom is only possible because we have an Advocate named Jesus who became our Atoning Sacrifice and took the penalty of our sinful ways upon Himself. O’ what a Savior!
“There was nothing I could do to make things perfect. There was nothing I could do to fill this soul. There was nothing I could do to break these chains of sin. So God sent down His one and only Son.” We are free forever, free forever. Jesus came to make a way for us!”
Matt Lacy – We are Free Forever
Prayer
God, I praise You for making me free! Free from the penalty and power of sin, and free to choose to live in godly and righteous ways. I choose today to crucify my flesh and its desires, and instead to choose to live as Your Spirit leads me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
