Freedom...it comes from Christ

S-Set Free


S-"So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law." Galatians 5:1

A-God's gift of grace and freedom

L-Six Things to Understand

"So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law. Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ cannot help you. I'll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey all of the regulations in the whole law of Moses. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace." Galatians 5:1-4

Need Paul say more?

Brethren, Christ died to set us free. If we take that freedom for granted and do what we want, then we are only placing ourselves back into slavery.

It's like a prisoner, who is in jail. They are in bondage right? Well, one day someone comes and says, "I am going to take the punishment of this person upon myself, so they can be free."

So, because of this one man, the prisoner is set free. They open the jail cell and he walks out free.

Now, this man has a choice. He can stay free or he can go out and live the same way he use to, do the same things he did, thus getting thrown back into jail.

Or, he can take this free gift of freedom because of the sacrifice of this man, and through him live a life of freedom and grace.

Do you get that? That is what Christ did for us. He took our punishment upon Himself in order to set us free.

We have the choice to walk and live in that freedom, or we can get tied back up again by taking advantage of this freedom and doing what our selfish hearts desire.

Here, Paul is saying, it's your choice, but understand this.

1. You can't find favor with God by obeying rules and regulations you will never be able to keep anyway.

2. If you choose circumcision and the law to make you right with God, well then know that you are cutting yourselves off from Christ. You have fallen away from God's grace.

3. Grace is not earned. It is a free gift from God through Christ.

4. You can't save yourselves, so stop trying! Only Christ can save you.

5. Understand what is at stake here. Your life!

6. Faith trumps the law, every single time.

Brethren, are you saved? If so, are you living a life that reflects the freedom you have been given through Christ. Or, are you still trying to earn favor with God through good deeds?

Maybe you have been saved, set free, yet have placed yourself right back into slavery again, because you are doing whatever you want and feeding those old selfish desires. If so, repent and turn back to Christ. Let Him really set you free.

S-Share your struggles, especially those than enslave you, with someone who will pray with and for you, who will encourage you, and will point you to God's truths. Be sure you have not fallen prey to those who try to enforce rules, laws, and regulations upon you that would enslave you again and set you up for failure.

What do you know?

"For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 2:6

Today I want to challenge you to step outside of your box and go deeper. Whether you can do it now or later in the day I hope you will stop and do this at some point today.  If not, I pray that it will stay on the fore-front of your mind all day.

Your challenge: turning your knowledge of God’s word into wisdom. Knowledge is having the facts, and the only true facts about God and Christ come from the Bible. Wisdom is taking those facts and applying them to our lives. So with that, I want you to make two columns on a piece of paper. In column number one title it “What I know (the facts) about the Lord”, in column number two title it “Living it out (applying the facts through wisdom).”

Under column number one- list all that you know about the Lord-and when I say that, I mean what YOU know, not what you have been told or taught, but what the Lord himself has taught you through spending time with Him in His word. When I first did this I was devastated, because I knew very little, but I was also challenged, determined, hungry, and so in love with the Lord that I wanted to make my list longer. Every day I wake up I can’t wait to add to my list.

For example: I know (I have the facts) that Jesus is the Son of the living God, I know that because I have read in His word in Matthew 3:17, Act 8:37, Matthew 27:43, etc. You of course can do it how you want this is just an example. Once you have finished your list either on paper or in your mind, move over to column number two and write down if and how you are living out what you know (the facts). Again this was very disappointing for me because I realized how little I was living out God’s word.

The Lord opened my eyes to see that just keeping what I knew inside was not doing any good for Him or others. I needed to start living inside out. I also realized I lived off of what I have been told, off of my feelings, and have even allowed things of the world to take the place of Him, which is insane being that there is no consistency in any of those, and boy did my actions, show that.

So what I did was I made a confession list, and I listed all the things that took the place of Him and His word. And maybe you need to do this also.

1.   Job

2.   My feelings

3.  Self

4.  The lure of the world

5.  T.V.

6.  Family and/or friends

Once I finished that list I did what Luke 9:23 says and I died to them and myself, and I do it every day. Each day I wake up I choose to live by what I know, not how I feel or what the world says, but by His word!

You have to understand in order to begin living out God’s word (wisdom) we must know (have the facts) God’s word for ourselves; we must actually apply it, then act on it, and then DO IT!

Join me this month as we live out all that we know of God and His word. Each day try to apply what you have studied to your everyday life and then act on it. For me today I want to live out God’s love through encouragement! Let’s grow wiser together!

Good journaling my brethren I hope your experience with this challenge will be life changing and develop a deeper level of wisdom.

Jesus change our knowledge into wisdom as we seek to know and become like You. Amen