GRACE BLOGS COLLECTION
Anytime that we discuss freedom as it relates to believers in the kingdom of God, we must realize that freedom means different things to different people!
In Acts 22, an incident in the life of Paul powerfully illustrates the New Testament truth regarding Christian freedom in the kingdom of God!
And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. (As a Roman Citizen or a FREE man, Paul had rights!) And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this FREEDOM. And Paul said, But I was born FREE. —Acts 22:25-28 (KJV)
Freedom meant something totally different to the Roman captain than to Paul.
Many today believe that their Christian May freedom is obtained by ‘paying a high price’—hard work, moral discipline, personal sacrifice! They think that if you sacrifice much in zealous pursuits of Christian discipline, you are ultimately rewarded with victory and freedom.
But I like what Paul said, “Maybe your freedom cost you a high price, but I was born FREE.” Before we can understand and experience true freedom, we have to know that it’s not something we obtain through personal sacrifice, we are born into it!
That doesn’t mean that our freedom was without cost. It came at a very high cost—THE LIFE OF THE SON OF GOD. The degree to which you understand and believe in the freedom you are born into in Christ is the degree of true freedom you will experience in everyday life!
Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he [man] thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
“Thinketh” means “to calculate; to put a valuation on.” “What” and “who” we value in our hearts determines where we go and what we become! Therefore, the way I believe about God and our relationship, controls the way I see and relate to myself and others.
Before we can understand and experience true freedom, we have to know that it’s not some- thing we obtain through personal sacrifice, we are born into it!
All the experiences of our lives, can be directly linked to the condition of our hearts or our belief system! (Prov. 4:20-23)
You can be a God-fearing, Holy Spirit-filled, Bible-quoting, morally-disciplined Christian, living in a reclusive commune! But if your beliefs are still deeply rooted in performance religion, you’ll never be free from the destructive behaviors and bondage that dominate your life.
Unfortunately this is the sad reality of many Christians in the church today.
The Jews served God based on performance religion that unknowingly kept them in bondage. Jesus said to them:
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? —John 8:31-33 (KJV)
They didn’t even recognize the religion they were in. They thought that everything was just great!
They served God under a system governed by rules, regulations and performance that could never make them acceptable before God. This is what they needed to be set free from, and it’s the same for many today.
Jesus said, “you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” That truth is relationship with God—free from legalism, self- righteousness and the guilt of the law! Jesus came to give us freedom and abundant life in Him. Celebrate the freedom you were born into every day!
Blessings, Arthur
A few days ago my husband Steve and I landed in Orlando for a three night marriage getaway. Today was our last day and we’ve had such a great time. We haven’t laughed this hard in a long time! Steve is the funniest person I know. When this man gets on a roll I am […]
The post Quitting The Rules appeared first on Sandra McCollom.
Lori, from Dracut, Massachusetts recently emailed me the following question about obedience after reading my post titled There’s No Bad News In The Good News. Sandra….John 14:15 says “If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands. And John 14:23-24 says “Jesus answered, If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My […]
The post What About Obedience? appeared first on Sandra McCollom.
Someone once told me he knew why so many Christians look so miserable. "They are all suffering from the hardening of the ‘oughteries’. They never feel they’ve done as much as they ought to have done."
I was going to be the guest speaker at a church in central Texas one Sunday. I arrived early and waited in the foyer for someone to open the doors to the main auditorium. A lady came in and waited with me. Making conversation, I asked, "Do you regularly attend church here?" "Not as much as I ought to," she replied sheepishly. Realizing she felt examined, I tried to relieve the tension by saying, "Well isn't it wonderful to go to church because you want to rather than because you ought to?"
"Yeah, but I don't want to as much as I ought to."
What a trap the oughteries are! You can never do enough. If you pray for two hours, you ought to have prayed more, or you ought to have been more intentional. If you’ve fasted for one week, you ought to have tried two. Just think how much more would have been accomplished if you hadn't quit so soon.
Jesus didn't live with the oughteries. He wanted to do the will of His Father. He was so conscious of the Father's love, He could think of nothing better than to trust Him. When Jesus was only twelve, he gave His parents a good scare because when they started for home after a temple visit, He stayed behind, discussing his Father's business with the religious leaders. (Luke 2:41-49) He was so caught up with being there that He completely forgot about going with his family. I don't think He stayed because He felt He “ought to.”
On another occasion (John 4:1-34), He stopped to rest by a well in Samaria while His disciples went to town for food. His rest was disturbed by a woman coming to the well to draw water. Jesus could see that her thirst was for more than physical water. He gave Himself to her so fully that when the disciples came back He was no longer hungry. "I have food to eat that you do not know about." He told them His intimate partnership with the Father was better than eating. Even though he was "off duty," He was energized by loving the way He was loved by His Father. He was focused on opportunities rather than oughteries.
Believers have been given His very life. We have the same privilege of being loved and sharing it when the opportunity arises. There are no interruptions to a life lived with God. He is constantly flowing His love through us and by it empowering us with a joy that is unspeakable. Gradually our desires change as we look forward to such exchanges. We get to do what we really want to do. The "oughts" are replaced by the delight of sharing the moment with God himself.
We are highly privileged to share in such heavenly dynamics. God is not measuring our performance, nor scrutinizing our motives. He is granting us the privilege of being his instruments of love. We will forget our sense of ought when we are captivated by his grace. Jesus has performed for us and has been declared RIGHTEOUS. We can do no better. Since we are righteous in him we can begin to practice what brings us the greatest satisfaction, loving as he loves.
Excerpted from Dudley's book Grace Works. Kerygma Ventures Press, Kerygmaventures.com. Used by permission.