Category Archives: Freedom

Bible, Freedom, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Scripture

DEAD TO IT

GALATIANS 2:19

“For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live for God.”

What freedom we have when we finally get victory over something that has controlled us! Amen? It wasn’t until I understood the freedom that I have in Christ that I was able to escape the self-imposed shackles of religion. I believed I had to do certain things to gain God’s love. I thought I had to also not do other things.

Paul was very aware of this mindset. His training as a Pharisee had taught him to follow the Law. But now he understands that the Law could never lead him to righteousness. Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers says this about this verse, “The road to freedom from the Law lay through the Law.” Paul wanted to make sure Peter and the other Jewish believers in Antioch was reminded of that freedom.

APPLICATION

You can’t say it much simpler than Jesus did in John 8:36. “‘So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.’” Jesus is saying this in the midst of a conversation with the religious leaders. They equated freedom with release from enslavement. They did not even realize they were enslaved to their laws and guidelines. They did not understand the freedom Jesus was referring to.

In 2 Corinthians 3:17 we read, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” That is the key to our freedom. We have the Spirit of the Lord dwelling within us as believers. The Spirit reminds us of this freedom day after day. He tells us we do not have to be tied to the Law or man-made guidelines anymore.

I am so thankful for my freedom in Christ. I am thankful I am dead to all those old ideas I had about what it meant to be spiritual. Living dead to them and alive to Christ makes everyday a day worth living. It brings new excitement, not drudgery. Isn’t that how you want to live?

Father, I thank You for my freedom I have in Jesus and for the life I can live through Him.

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Abiding, Accountability, Appeasement, Bible, Choices, Commands, Deliverance, Freedom, Gospel, Law, Scripture

YOU CAN’T GO BACK

GALATIANS 2:18

“For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a wrongdoer.”

Millions of people make the fatal mistake of returning to past sins or past ways of living. For example, meth addicts are extremely precluded to do this. They can be in jail for a year, clean from the use of this substance, and the very day they get released they return to it. It’s like a magnet drawing them. Sadly, there are many who also come to Christ but get drawn back into old habits or sins.

In today’s verse, Paul is still addressing Peter and the Jewish believers who are there in Antioch. He is saying that once they had come to Christ, the Law no longer held any sway over them. The sacrifices were no longer required. Circumcision was no longer needed. Kosher eating had been abolished. They were free in Christ. But they were returning or still trying to observe these guidelines in the Law. Paul said that would make them a “wrongdoer.”

APPLICATION

In Romans 14, Paul addresses at length this issue of our freedom in Christ. Take a minute or two and read that whole chapter. But let me share a couple of verses as an example. Verse 2-3 say, “2 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but the one who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.”

I have a responsibility to myself and to others to be true to Christ, not some man-made, imposed tradition or rule. I only answer to Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:17 comes to mind. Do you know that verse? You should. It says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Oh, the freedom we have in Christ. I live each day to please Him. I know if I am pleasing my Master, He will take care of the rest. Others may not like my freedom in Christ. That’s okay. He does. That’s all that matters. Are you free? Have you laid down all those old laws that bound you? Or have you returned to them, thinking that by doing them you are pleasing Him? Lay them down. Live in Him.

Thank You, Lord, for freeing me from the shackles of sin and the Law.

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Bible, Freedom, Passion, Scripture, Zealous

ZEALOUS FOR THE WRONG STUFF

GALATIANS 1:14

“and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.”

Okay, I have to admit it – I’m an avid Georgia Bulldog fan. I went to school at the University of Georgia, so it’s my school. I am especially a football fan. I have enjoyed the past few seasons with the success the team has had. But I know it is only a sport and that life does not hang in the balance with each win or loss. There are some fans, however, who are truly fanatics. They live and die with each ballgame. Zealous for the wrong reason!

Paul admits in verse 14 that he, too, was zealous for the wrong reasons. The Greek word for “zealous” comes from the root word zeo which mans to be hot enough to boil. Paul was, indeed, a zealot for the Jewish faith, even chasing down the early believers, throwing them in jail and even approving of their death. Remember, he was present when Stephen was stoned to death. He was zealous but for the wrong thing.

APPLICATION

In Luke 6:15, we find one of Jesus’ apostles was called a zealot. “…and Simon who was called the Zealot;” Simon was a zealot over fighting for freedom from the Romans. When Jesus called him to be one of his chosen twelve, his zeal was changed from seeking freedom militarily to seeking freedom spiritually. Paul was no exception. Instead of seeking to arrest early Christians, he was arrested by God on that Damascus road and finally set free. Now, he was extremely zealous for Christ. He was even willing to risk his own life spreading the good news of the Gospel.

1 Corinthians 14:12 speaks to us all regarding the correct zeal we should pursue. “So you too, since you are eager to possess spiritual gifts, strive to excel for the edification of the church.” Instead of trying to obtain spiritual supremacy, we should be zealous to build up the body of Christ, the church. God has given each of us gifts for the body. Those are the things we should seek, not for ourselves, but for others.

The older I get, the less attention or praise I seek. I had rather serve behind the scenes and quietly watch others get blessed than seek my own accolades. When I do receive recognition, I want to be quick to give it all back to Him. I want to be zealous for Jesus, nothing else. Only He really matters. I want to boil over for Him. How about you?

I praise You, Lord, for giving me the zeal I need each day. Boil me over in passion for You.

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Accused, Bible, Blood, Conviction, Freedom, Redemption, Salvation, Scripture

SET FREE

ZECHARIAH 9:11

“As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you, I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.”

I have never been in jail or prison. I cannot imagine what it would be like to have my freedom of movement taken away. I cannot imagine being locked in a cell for months or years. I have visited a lot of prisons in my ministry. I have seen the loss of life in the eyes of the inmates. I went to bring hope to them in Christ. Some received – others didn’t. We all have that choice.

The Lord continues His discourse and in today’s verse proclaims freedom for the captives. He says, “I have set your prisoners free.” But notice how that is done. In the phrase right before that He says, “because of the blood of My covenant with you.” Only the blood could set them free. This truth continues to us today.

APPLICATION

How long were you enslaved before you were set free? Well Carl, I was never a slave to anything. I haven’t been put in jail or prison. Oh, that is not true. We are told we are either slaves to sin or slaves to obedience. We have been told that sin enslaves us. We are most definitely slaves to sin before salvation. We are doomed with an eternal sentence with no hope of parole.

But thanks be to God, He sent His Son to break those chains of bondage. Isaiah 61:1 says it most clearly. “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD anointed me to bring good news to the humble; He has sent me to bind up the broken- hearted, to proclaim release to captives and freedom to prisoners;” This has been described as Jesus’ job description.

The chains that once bound me to the yoke of slavery have been snapped by the blood of Christ. The moment I said “yes” to Him, the chains fell off. I have power over sin. Sin does not control me. As long as I continue to abide in Him, His Spirit will lead me away from the lure of sin and into His warm embrace. Are you free today? I pray you are. If you aren’t, come to Him today.

The power of Your Son’s blood has set me free, Lord. Thank You for loving me so much.

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Bible, Captivity, Freedom, Running, Scripture

YOU HAD BETTER RUN TO GOD

ZECHARIAH 2:6

“‘You there! Flee from the land of the north,’ declares the LORD, ‘because I have spread you out like the four winds of the heavens,’ declares the LORD.”

Have you ever been told, “Run and run hard”? When I was a little boy my brother and I used to love to go to my Grandma Carter’s farm because we could roam that place and find all sorts of things to do. We loved to climb over in the pasture with the cows (that was a no-no, but we did it anyway). We would get as close to them as we could and then we would throw rocks at them. All is well until…you hit the bull. He didn’t like that. We would get chased by him and have to dive under the fence to escape. I can still hear my brother Tim yelling, “Run, Carl, Run!!”

The Lord God is delivering His message through the angel to Zechariah, but it is meant for all those still in Babylon. He says, “Run! Get back home! I’ve got a place for you here where you can spread out and be safe.” In fact, the sentence begins with a double yell. He cries out “Hoy, Hoy” just to get their attention. In other words, “Hey you there, you better listen up.”

APPLICATION

Isaiah tells the people a very similar message in Isaiah 48:20. “Go out from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare with the sound of joyful shouting, proclaim this, send it out to the end of the earth; Say, ‘The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob.’” You have to understand something. For some of the captives, all they had ever known was Babylon. The thought of leaving, even a captivity, was frightening. It took some urging.

Is that you? You know you are being held captive by your sins. You know you need to leave what you are doing, but you are afraid to step out. Listen! Hoy! The God who is calling you is waiting for you. He has a better place for you. He would not call you out of the sin you are in to place you in a worse place. He is all about drawing us near to Him.

That reminds me of James 4:8. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” Do that today. Cleanse and purify. That is done by coming to Him. He is the One who cleanses. He is the One who purifies.

I run to You, O God. I know You are standing with open arms.

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Battles, Bible, Freedom, Praise, Scripture, Sin, Surrender, Testimony

SHACKLES

NAHUM 1:13

“‘So now, I will break his yoke from upon you, and I will tear your shackles to pieces.’”

The first thing that I thought of when I read this verse was the song by Mary Mary called “Shackles.” The chorus says,

“Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance
I just want to praise you
I just want to praise you
You broke the chains now I can lift my hands
And I’m gonna praise you
I’m gonna praise you.”

Nahum is telling the Israelites that God is breaking their shackles of captivity put on them by the Assyrians (Nineveh). He is setting them free. I bet they felt just like Mary Mary. They just wanted to praise Him. Their shackles were real, though. They felt the weight of the chains. They knew how it felt when they fell off.

APPLICATION

What has you shackled right now? It could be a sin that you have not been able to shake off. You pray and pray but return to the cesspool of sin. That stronghold has you shackled with seemingly no escape. You may not have real chains, but it sure feels like it at times.

I have good news for you. God is still in the shackle breaking business. Lift your hands to Him in prayer, shackles and all, and ask Him to break them. Lay out your feet, shackles and all, and watch them fall off as you yield to Him and give Him everything. Until you do that, those shackles will continue to bind you.

Walking without shackles is a lot better than walking with them. You lose that “shackle shuffle” that is so obvious. When people see you walking free, they will ask what happened. That is when you can tell them you story. You can join with Mary Mary in singing,

“Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance
I just want to praise you
I just want to praise you
You broke the chains now I can lift my hands
And I’m gonna praise you
I’m gonna praise you.”

I love You, Lord, and I lift my hands to worship You. O my soul rejoice!

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Accused, Bible, Consequences, Enslavement, Freedom, Rescue, Scripture

JAIL BREAK

MICAH 2:13

“The one who breaks through goes up before them; they break through, pass through the gate, and go out by it. So their king passes on before them, and the LORD at their head.”

There have been so many movies about prisoners breaking out of prison. I think of The Bird Man of Alcatraz. I have seen James Cagney make prison breaks. And who can forget all the Westerns that included breaking out of the Sheriff’s jail? All these have one thing in common – getting free from confinement.

Micah, in today’s verse, is portraying the people of Israel breaking free from their imprisonment. “The one who breaks through” is a reference, according to some scholars, of Christ, Who sets us free from our enslavement to sin. But the last phrase tells it all – “and the Lord at their head.” He is the one responsible for their freedom.

APPLICATION

Are you enslaved today? Romans 6:16 says, “Do you not know that the one to whom you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of that same one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?” You see, we are slaves to something.  

I have never been in jail (at least not yet, lol), but I can imagine how I would feel to be confined somewhere that I could not leave. When you are enslaved to sin, there is no escape. You cannot get out of this enslavement by yourself. You do not have the power to break the yoke of sin. But thanks be to God, He sent His Son to set us free.

I love Isaiah 61:1. “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD anointed me to bring good news to the humble; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to captives and freedom to prisoners;” We have a mission to proclaim the good news. We can help point others to the One Who breaks through.

Thank You, Father, for breaking through the walls of sin as I call upon Your name.

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Accountability, Advocate, Battles, Bible, Consequences, Devil, Enemies, Freedom, Judgment, Rescue, Satan, Scripture

CAPTIVE

AMOS 4:3

“‘You will go out through holes in the walls, one in front of the other, and you will be hurled to Harmon,’ declares the LORD.”

I have never been held captive. I can’t imagine what that feels like. I have read first person accounts of that and marveled at that person’s stamina and faith to survive. But to be torn from your home and carried off as a prisoner would certainly be horrible. God has promised, however, to see us through any trial.

Israel is facing captivity. The Lord is telling them here that they will be led out of their cities through the holes in the walls that were made by their captors. They will be lead like cattle, one in front of the other, to their place of captivity. They will go from luxury to slavery.

APPLICATION

If you are not a believer in Jesus, you are being held captive by your enemy, the devil. The sad thing is you may not even realize it. As long as you are not walking with Christ, you are walking with him. He may even treat you kindly here on earth because he knows he will have you for eternity.

But God rescues us from our captor through Jesus. Jesus conquered death and the grave for you. His blood paid the price for your freedom. You can be set free through Him. And the best part is that it is free. You just have to ask for it. If you haven’t done that today, will you?

I am thankful the chains of sin have been broken. We are no longer held down by Satan’s grip. The moment we said yes to Jesus, we were made free. The jail doors were opened. We now walk with the One who set us free. Remember – we walk from victory, not towards it. The battle has already been won. Praise Jesus!

Lord, You are the one who set me free from the power and penalty of sin in my life. Thank You for saving me.

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Abiding, Advocate, Bible, Destruction, Failures, Freedom, Healing, Obedience, Promises, Rescue, Scripture

A RUT

AMOS 2:13

“‘Behold, I am making a rut in the ground beneath you, just as a wagon makes a rut when filled with sheaves.’”

Do you know what a rut is? It’s a grave with both ends knocked out. I know, that’s not a very funny joke. I don’t write them. I just repeat them, lol. Seriously, not many people like to be in a rut. It implies you are stuck or traveling is hard. Ruts can break axles on vehicles. Bottom line – ruts aren’t fun.

The Lord tells the Israelites here in verse 13 that He is burdened by them. The weight of their sins is upon Him. He is weary of them. How sad that must have sounded to them. Their God, the One who delivered them, is weary of them. But now God is over it. He is tired of being tired of them. He is going to deal with them appropriately.

APPLICATION                                                              

Do you think our sins burden Jesus? If you are child of God, if you have given your life to Him, then all your sins are forgiven. We have the privilege to walk with Him in victory. Do you think He gets weary of our rebellion and disobedience? I am sure it disappoints Him. He knows we are human and fall short, but He has given us everything we need to live for Him.

Ask yourself if you are living to please the Father today. Or are you in a rut? Do you let the trials of life weigh you down. There’s a line in a hymn that I love. It says, “Burdens are lifted at Calvary.” Do you believe that? I sure do. I know my burdens are lifted by my Master. I want out of the ruts.

So, next time you feel you are in a rut, stop and examine what burdens you are holding on to. You don’t have to. He’s got this. And the beauty is once we give Him our burdens, they really are lifted. God can handle it. We can’t. Let Him have all your burdens (1 Peter 5:7).

I cast all my burdens on You, O Lord. I know You have the ability to take them and lighten my load.

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Accountability, Advocate, Bible, Calling, Confession, Following, Forgiveness, Freedom, God's Will, Prayer, Redemption, Repentance, Salvation, Scripture

REPAYMENT

HOSEA 12:2

“The LORD also has a case against Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; He will repay him according to his deeds.”

You’ve heard all about paybacks, haven’t you? It’s when someone has done you wrong, and you get them back later. I’ve known people who wait weeks or even months to do that. They want that payback to really hurt that person. They plan every detail so that person knows exactly what is happening. Sounds cruel. Well, it is.

God is not that way. He is not plotting against Judah. He is simply holding them accountable for their “deeds.” Sin has consequences. Judah knew that, but they chose to sin anyway. I am sure they cried and bellyached about God’s discipline. However, God had to deal with their sin.

APPLICATION

Aren’t you glad Jesus has already paid the price for you? If you have received Him as your Lord and Savior, the repayment is done. Jesus took care of that for you. I love Psalm 103:10. It says, “He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” Whew!

My sins are many. If I counted up all my sins in just one year, it would stagger you. But I bet yours are the same. Then can you imagine if everyone’s sins were totaled? That number would be astronomical. But that’s what Jesus died for. His sacrifice took care of all those sins. We only have to come to Him and accept the free gift of salvation.

I am glad that on July 31, 1977 I did that. I have been far from perfect since then, but I know my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Do you know that for certain? You can. I pray today you will make sure of that. The freedom you can experience in knowing that is incredible. Come to Him today.

I am free because of Your Son, Jesus. Thank You, Lord, for saving me.

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