Freedom

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. 

(John 8:32, 36 KJV)

Irving Berlin singing God Bless America

On July fourth we celebrated a special day in the United States of America—the day when our Founding Fathers declared independence from the tyranny of Great Britain (in 1776).  Many of them knew that the ultimate freedom was found in right relationship to the Lord.  As a group, these brave men (and their families) were willing to pay a high price to rebel against Great Britain—some lost their lives for the cause, while others lost homes, family members, and many lost their wealth.  Yet they believed that the price paid was worth it to live free and independent lives; we today in America are the beneficiaries of their commitment and sacrifices.

Earlier this week, I spent some time thinking about freedom.  What is freedom?  What is true freedom?  How is freedom in Christ different from political freedom or any other type of freedom?  What does it mean to be free?

As an undergraduate political science major I studied the constitution and history in some depth.  Our Founding Fathers knew there was a better way to live and to govern.  Many of them knew that it was in Jesus alone that we find true freedom—the United States’ Constitution reflects the difference made by founding a nation on godly principles.

Freedom of all types does come with a cost—sometimes even at the cost of our lives—literally and metaphorically—this is true in gaining freedom politically or spiritually.  In the spiritual realm, Jesus died and rose again that we could be free from satan’s tyranny and free from sin.  

But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 

(Romans 5:15 KJV)

As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. 

(1 Peter 2:16 KJV)

Freedom is not exactly “free”.  All types of freedom come with certain principles to adhere to—freedom is not a license to do whatever we want we wish—freedom comes with rights and responsibilities to meet.  True freedom has laws (or commands) to protect us—this is true in democracies and spiritually.  God’s laws are truly loving and protecting us from harm—yes, we have been set free by grace.  Grace does not mean that anything goes and we can sin all we want to; grace means that God forgives our sins through Jesus and in turn we obey Him out of love.  

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 

(Romans 5:18 KJV)

Personal photo

Jesus truly sets us free—free to truly live an abundant life (John 10:10) now and throughout eternity.  Living in a democracy does not mean that we are truly free if we do not acknowledge our need for God, our need for salvation through Jesus.  No one and I do mean no one is good enough on his or her own to make it to Heaven without surrendering to Jesus asking Him to forgive their sins and come into their heart.  With Jesus it is fully possible to live in a country that is not free, yet be freer than those in a democracy, if Jesus is Savior and Lord.

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 

(2 Corinthians 3:17 KJV) 

Jesus is standing ready to come and set you free from sin, from your past (no matter how horrid it is); He loves you deeply and desires a relationship with you.  Our Lord is a gentleman and will not force Himself upon You.  What are you waiting for in surrendering to the Lord and being set truly free?  In surrendering to the Lord, you will find great freedom! 

Yes, this freedom does come at a cost.  What do we need to die to in order to be set truly free?  (This is a daily process.)  We die to self, crucifying the flesh AFTER we said yes to Jesus, seeking His forgiveness for our sins and inviting Him to dwell in our heart.  This is true freedom—we can be imprisoned and be freer than those who have imprisoned us!

For those who are set free in Christ, how can you use your freedom responsibly?  How has freedom in Christ changed your life?  If you are not free in Christ why say “yes” to Jesus today—He has already said “yes” to you!  Saying “yes” to Jesus sets us FREE!  Praise the Lord!

Please join with me in prayer:

Lord of All, Thank You for the true freedom we have in You—freedom that is true and that comes at a cost.  For those of us who live in freedom we express our thanks to those who have gone before us, sometimes even giving their lives that we might remain free.  For those who do not live in freedom, please surround them with Your loving presence and woo them into a relationship with You or in to a deeper relationship with You.  Encourage us to be ever mindful of what it means to be truly free in Christ.  In Jesus’ Name we pray.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Freedom in Christ

*Note:  I have shared this post in July of 2015 and July of 2016, prior to the United State’s celebration of July 4.  This year, I have done a bit of revising.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath set us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”  (Galatians 5:1 KJV)

From http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Inspirational-Images/large/Galatians_5-1.jpg

On Tuesday we (those of us in the United States of America) will be celebrating our freedom, won at a great cost from Great Britain.  On July 4, 1776, many brave men (and women) in an act of defiance stood up against the world power of that day, declaring their independence.  This was an act of war.  Many individuals and families paid a very steep price; because of this, we have the freedoms and independence we now enjoy.  May we never take our freedoms and independence for granted!  

Personal Photo

For those of us who are Christians, we are in a war too; a spiritual war, fighting against a spiritual enemy—Satan—who wants our soul.  We do not fight alone.  We fight along side our brothers and sisters in Christ.  However, our best and most important help comes from our Savior, Jesus and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever considered that our freedom—freedom from sin and death—eternal separation from a holy God was also won at a great cost?  By dying and arising from the dead, Jesus set us free from bondage to sin, death, and the grave—we are liberated!  This freedom is fully paid for by Christ Jesus—He asks for our heart in return. 

Being set free by Christ sends us on an amazing journey—a journey that is unique to each person.  This journey takes us places we never thought we would go; we will likely do things we never thought we could or would do (for me that is preaching in the form of filling in for pastors who are away and teaching Sunday school).  We will meet many people who will teach us, bless us, and challenge us.  And yes, our hearts will break at times for many reasons.     

To read more about freedom in Christ please read my previous posts: Salvation, A New Creation, and Counting the Cost.

Much like the colonists, who were subjects of Great Britain, we are in bondage to sin, until we see our sin for what it is and that we cannot save or free ourselves from the chains of sin.  It is when we acknowledge the work of Jesus Christ and invite Him into our heart that we are set free.

Image from Pixabay

We are free in Christ—this freedom is not freedom to do as we please; it is freedom from the burden of sin and the burden of the Old Testament laws, rules, and regulations (but not the Ten Commandments).  It is freedom to love (agape) others and to serve others. 

Spend some time in the coming days, reflecting on your freedom in Christ.   

What does it mean to you, personally, to be free in Christ?

What have you been set free from by Jesus?

During Sunday morning worship one of the songs we sang was This is Amazing Grace.  While singing I realized how appropriate its message is when considering our freedom in Christ.

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear God of Love, thank You for setting us free.  We recognize all that You have done for us.  Thank You for the gift of living in America and for those who have stood up for what is right, so that we can live in freedom.  It is in Jesus and Jesus alone that we are saved and set free; thank You Jesus for Your amazing gift of salvation.  Teach us to walk and live in the freedom that we have in Jesus, the One who set us free from Satan’s grasp.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen. 

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Happy 4^th of July to my readers in the United States of America!

Freedom in Christ

*Note: This post first appeared last year, July 3, 2015*

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath set us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”  (Galatians 5:1 KJV)

From http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Inspirational-Images/large/Galatians_5-1.jpg 

On Monday we (those of us in the United States of America) will be celebrating our freedom, won at a great cost from Great Britain.  On July 4, 1776, many brave men (and women) in an act of defiance stood up against the world power of that day, declaring their independence.  This was an act of war.  Many individuals and families paid a very steep price; because of this, we have the freedoms and independence we now enjoy.  May we never take our freedoms and independence for granted!  

For those of us who are Christians, we are in a war too; a spiritual war, fighting against a spiritual enemy—Satan—who wants our soul.  We do not fight alone.  We fight along side our brothers and sisters in Christ. However, our best and most important help comes from our Savior, Jesus and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever considered that our freedom—freedom from sin and death—eternal separation from a holy God was also won at a great cost?  By dying and arising from the dead, Jesus set us free from bondage to sin—we are liberated!  This freedom is fully paid for by Christ Jesus—He asks for our heart. 

Being set free by Christ sends us on an amazing journey—a journey that is unique to each person.  This journey takes us places we never thought we would go; we will likely do things we never thought we could or would do (for me that is preaching in the form of filling in for pastors who are away).  We will meet many people who will teach us, bless us, and challenge us.  And yes, our hearts will break at times for many reasons.     

To read more about freedom in Christ please read my previous posts: Salvation, A New Creation, and Counting the Cost.

Much like the colonists, who were subjects of Great Britain, we are in bondage to sin, until we see our sin for what it is and that we cannot save or free ourselves from the chains of sin.  It is when we acknowledge the work of Jesus Christ and invite Him into our heart that we are set free.

We are free in Christ—this freedom is not freedom to do as we please; it is freedom from the burden of sin and the burden of the Old Testament laws, rules, and regulations (but not the Ten Commandments).  It is freedom to love (agape) others and to serve others. 

Spend some time in the coming days, reflecting on your freedom in Christ.   

What does it mean to you, personally, to be free in Christ?

What has Jesus set you free from?

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear God of Love, thank You for setting us free.  We recognize all that You have done for us.  Thank You for the gift of living in America and for those who have stood up for what is right, so that we can live in freedom.  It is in Jesus and Jesus alone that we are saved and set free; thank You Jesus for Your amazing gift of salvation.  Teach us to walk and live in the freedom that we have in Jesus, the One who set us free from Satan’s grasp.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen. 

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Happy 4^th of July to my readers in the United States of America!

Victory in Jesus: Part 2

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

(1 Corinthians 15:57 KJV)

This week’s post continues where I left off last week.  Now we will consider some of the verses and the chorus of Victory in Jesus.  For the first post in this series, please see Victory in Jesus.

I’ve heard an old, old story, how a Saviour came from glory,

From the opening pages of the Bible in Genesis to the closing pages in Revelation, we read of God’s redeeming love and His plan to redeem us from our sins through sending His Son, Jesus. God’s love is a costly love, yet He gave so freely—by accepting Jesus as our Savior we can win the victory!  Jesus willingly left so much in heaven to become one of us—He understands us and cares about us.

How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me.

Have you considered how willingly Jesus gave up His life for people, for sinners like you and me? He didn’t have to do this; however, His love for us was so great and strong that He gave His life as a ransom for you and me.  It is in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone that we are saved! It is in Jesus that we have the victory!

I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood’s atoning. Then I repented of my sins and won the victory.

While on the cross, Jesus groaned, He cried out—feeling the full weight of each one of our sins and our diseases.  It was through His precious blood and its atoning power that each person can receive forgiveness of sins—it’s a personal decision—a decision no one can make for us. What is your decision?  Have you repented of your sins? It seems to be a process of sorts—a process of fully surrendering to God the whole of our life.

Until about ten or eleven years ago, I had religion, (even though I had asked Jesus into my heart at age six or seven) but I did not have a living, vital relationship with the Lord, and I certainly did not understand a thing about the Holy Spirit.  (And I grew up in a Bible believing church!) Just because my church believed the Bible that did not mean we knew the Bible.  Once I understood the need for relationship and learned the truth and accepted the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, living a Christian life became so much easier. It became less an effort of the flesh, instead it was relying on the Lord’s empowerment through the Holy Spirit.

There is still a struggle; there is still the need to take off the old man.  I am not the same and I do not want to go back to the way things were.  What I watch on TV has changed and what I read has changed—that is what a true, vital relationship with Jesus has done for me.  I do not miss my old life!  My desire is to be more like Jesus each day.  What about you; have you experienced the life saving and life changing impact of a relationship with Jesus?  It is not too late, why not invite Jesus into your heart and receive forgiveness of your sins? 

Let me ask you to search your heart—have you gone to the cross and poured out everything that needs to come out—the sin, the burdens that we cannot bear and are not meant to bear?  Leaving all the old sin, the “yuck” of our lives at the cross when we surrender all to Jesus and ask Him to be our Savior and Lord; it changes everything.  Victory is won! Jesus won the victory for us!

What victory is won?  In Jesus we are set free from being enslaved to sin—we can have victory over sin.  We also have victory over death and the grave, because Jesus gained victory over death and the grave.  Death for those of us in Christ is not something to fear.  We have a glorious future awaiting us!

I’ve heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory, And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea;

In John 14 Jesus comforted His disciples and all believers with the assurance that He was going to prepare a place for us in heaven and then would return for us.  There are many mansions in heaven being prepared for those who are saved.  In Revelation we read of the beauty of heaven. Heaven is beyond anything we can begin to think about or describe.  Streets of gold, a crystal sea, a tree with leaves that heal.  Best of all, we’ll see Jesus, our Savior and Lord!

And some sweet day I’ll sing up there, the song of victory.

Just imagine the glorious reunions we will have in heaven with those who have gone ahead us, as well as meeting Brothers and Sisters from every tribe, every tongue, and every nation.  What an amazing song of victory that will be—singing the song of the victorious in Christ! Beyond meeting family (some I know and some I do not), there are many people that I have “met” through books that I anticipate meeting in heaven.  What a glorious time that will be—to be with our Lord forever—worshiping and serving Him.  O, what a glorious day that will be!

Chorus

Can you sing the words of the chorus with the assurance they are true for you? What are you waiting for—it is not too late to turn to Jesus and ask Him to forgive your sins.  Today is the day to decide.

Oh, victory in Jesus, my Saviour, forever! He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood.  He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him. He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.

Victory in Jesus is possible!  In what ways have you experienced victory?

How can you live out your victory in Jesus each day?

How can you share that message with others?

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Lord, Thank You for giving us the victory in Jesus.  Encourage us to look to Him as we go through our daily lives.  May we always keep our eyes and heart focused on things above rather than on things on earth—that is where our hope lies.  Deepen our spiritual hunger and thirst for things of You Lord; it is clear that earthly things clearly do not satisfy.  

  

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Freedom in Christ

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath set us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”  (Galatians 5:1 KJV)

Tomorrow we (those of us in the United States of America) will be celebrating our freedom, won at a great cost from Great Britain.  On July 4, 1776, many brave men (and women) in an act of defiance stood up against the world power of that day, declaring their independence.  This was an act of war.  Many individuals and families paid a very steep price; because of this, we have the freedoms and independence we now enjoy.  May we never take our freedoms and independence for granted! 

For those of us who are Christians, we are in a war too; a spiritual war, fighting against a spiritual enemy—Satan—who wants our soul.  We do not fight alone.  We fight along side our brothers and sisters in Christ. However, our best and most important help comes from our Savior, Jesus and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever considered that our freedom—freedom from sin and death—eternal separation from a holy God was also won at a great cost?  By dying and arising from the dead, Jesus set us free from bondage to sin—we are liberated!  This freedom is fully paid for by Christ Jesus—He asks for our heart. 

Being set free by Christ sends us on an amazing journey—a journey that is unique to each person.  This journey takes us places we never thought we would go; we will likely do things we never thought we could or would do (for me that is preaching in the form of filling in for pastors who are away).  We will meet many people who will teach us, bless us, and challenge us.  And yes, our hearts will break at times for many reasons.     

To read more about freedom in Christ please read my previous posts: Salvation, A New Creation, and Counting the Cost.

Much like the colonists, who were subjects of Great Britain, we are in bondage to sin, until we see our sin for what it is and that we cannot save or free ourselves from the chains of sin.  It is when we acknowledge the work of Jesus Christ and invite Him into our heart that we are set free.

We are free in Christ—this freedom is not freedom to do as we please; it is freedom from the burden of sin and the burden of the Old Testament laws, rules, and regulations (but not the Ten Commandments).  It is freedom to love (agape) others and to serve others. 

Spend some time in the coming days, reflecting on your freedom in Christ.   

What does it mean to you, personally, to be free in Christ?

What has Jesus set you free from?

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear God of Love, thank You for setting us free.  We recognize all that You have done for us.  Thank You for the gift of living in America and for those who have stood up for what is right, so that we can live in freedom.  It is in Jesus and Jesus alone that we are saved and set free; thank You Jesus for Your amazing gift of salvation.  Teach us to walk and live in the freedom that we have in Jesus, the One who set us free from Satan’s grasp.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen. 

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Happy 4^th of July to my readers in the United States of America!