FREEDOM

Scripture Job 31 ; Job 32 ; Galatians 5 ; Galatians 6

Galatians 5: ¹³My friends, you were chosen to be free. So don't use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love.

Observation:  Somehow there is this great disconnect between who we really are who we are supposed to be in the eyes of God.

Application:  God has set us free to live in the world but not be a part of it.  That is really hard to do because with every breath we take the world wants to tell us how to take it in and how to let it out.  So, what does this freedom mean that Paul says we were chosen for, which is then qualified with ‘you can’t use it to do anything you want.’  Is that freedom?  It is a hard thing to think about…freedom.

For me, freedom (the freedom that God has given me through Christ Jesus) is the ability to live in the world but not be of the world.  In other words, I can be right where I am today and still know that God loves me and has given me the promise of eternity through putting my faith in Jesus who has paid the price for my sin (past, present, and future).  Does that give me license to live anyway I want?  NO it does not.  It does however give me the freedom to have a relationship with God and my neighbor—whoever my neighbor might be.  I have the freedom to help in matters of justice, peace, and a bunch of other things that happen to people-- to make their lives better and to give my witness as to the peace I have found in Jesus.  Sometimes I will have to use words.

Freedom is a powerful thing, especially when it is given by God.

Prayer:  My prayer today is that God enables me to share my freedom with some who is locked in the chains of the world. 

Yieldedness: With the help of God’s Holy Spirit, I will become a key and not a lock.

Paul's Wonderful Testimony: Can I Claim It?

^{Galatians 2:20}I have died, but Christ lives in me. And I now live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me. ²¹I don't turn my back on God's undeserved kindness.

Scripture Job 28 ; Job 29 ; Galatians 1 ; Galatians 2

Observation: Paul spoke very boldly of his faith.

Application:  I wish to live my life as Paul lived his life.  I wish to be quick to say what Paul has said to the Church at Galatia—“I have died, but Christ lives in me…I don’t turn my back on God’s underserved kindness.”

It is hard to live this life where I don’t turn my back on God’s grace.  Just yesterday I found myself angry at someone who was probably just doing their job as best as they could.  I ordered a cup of coffee in the middle of the afternoon at a fast food restaurant and of course the attendant had to stop what they were doing and make a fresh pot of coffee just for me.  Well, I paid for the coffee and went back to my vehicle to transfer the coffee from the Styrofoam cup to my on cup.  As I was trying to get the lid off the Styrofoam cup, the cup was so full that the hot coffee was spilling on my fingers…Well, I have to say at this point I did not resemble the image of God…unless God was really mad and upset and God’s hand was on fire from hot coffee.  My sweet wife called me on it and reminded me of who I am. 

She reminded me that that person might have been disgruntled at me because I disrupted her routine, but that probably I needed not to think that way.  I needed to deal with “what was” spilled coffee and a blistered finger and pray that God would bless the person that poured that coffee and me as well.

Prayer:  So my prayer for today is this:  God please bless that person that poured that coffee cup way to full and bless my wife for being more of your image at that moment than myself and forgive me for my words and thoughts and remind me that I have died and now you live in me and help me not to turn my back of your loving kindness…Love Stephen

Yieldedness:  I will be more careful when I transfer coffee from a Styrofoam cup to my person favorite coffee cup.