Bondage

October 23rd – 1 Corinthians 6:19

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1 Corinthians 6:19

God’s Promise – “I have given you My Spirit, so your body could be My temple.”

Each one of us is born with a sin nature that would rather practice self indulgence than self discipline. And when the flesh wants something, the hardest word to hear is “no”. But Paul tells us as followers of Christ we have all we need to keep our urges in check. So why is self control so important? Not because Paul is a party pooper. But because he understands the destruction that comes from being slaves to our sinful desires. Desires that if acted upon, put us right back into the bondage that Jesus died to free us from. And even more importantly, Paul reminds us that we have the Holy Spirit of Almighty God dwelling inside of us. So if we truly love the Lord, we should strive to honor Him in all things; including being good caretakers of our bodies. For they are given to us by our Creator to whom they belong. And one day those same bodies will be resurrected and glorified to eternal perfection!

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September 14th – Galatians 1:8

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Galatians 1:8

Paul tells us to fear those who teach a false gospel because they are accursed and their message leads to death. Whether it’s an ear tickling gospel, a prosperity gospel, or a works based gospel, if it doesn’t line up with God’s gospel, it’s a false gospel. False gospels keep us chained to rules and laws. They lead to destruction by telling us there are many roads to God. And false gospels tell us that through our own efforts we can earn everlasting life. But the one true gospel of Jesus Christ gives us freedom and joy, not bondage and despair. It wipes clean our record, declaring us innocent and blameless. As fallen people with fallen hearts, we cannot fathom such a pure, perfect, and unconditional love as God’s. A love whose height knows no limits, and whose depth knows no end. And most wonderful of all, a love not earned but offered freely to everyone who receives Jesus as their Savior. This is the Good News of Jesus Christ. And this is the one and only true gospel!

 

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July 30th – Leviticus 25:10

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Leviticus 25:10

For Israel, every 50th year was set apart as the “Year of the Jubilee.” Literally meaning, “ram’s horn”, it was a year of rest for both the people and the land. The Jubilee was filled with celebrating and rejoicing, for it was a time of freedom and restoration. Both slaves and prisoners were released, all debts were considered paid in full, and property was returned to its original owner. And the people refrained from their labor, trusting God to provide for their needs. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, for believers every day is a Jubilee. Because of His work on the Cross, the Lord paid our debt, freed us from the bondage of sin, and restored us back to God. And no longer do we have to work in our own strength. For God promises to, “supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19)

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July 31st – Galatians 4:5

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Galatians 4:5

In His perfect timing, when the world was prepared for the coming of Jesus, God sent His Son to be born in the flesh to a human woman. And why did He do this? Paul tells us it was to redeem all who believe unto His name for salvation. The word redeem comes from the Greek word exagorazo, the root word used to buy back a person sold into slavery. And that’s exactly what Jesus did. He came and used His precious blood to purchase us from the bondage of sin. Through His death, Christ broke our chains, and provided the only to escape death. And He didn’t do it just to free us. He redeemed us at such a great personal cost, to adopt us into God’s family. And as His children, we have “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade . . . kept in heaven” (1 Peter 1:4). Think of that! We are co-owners of everything that belongs to God through our standing in Jesus. And all because He gave everything to call us His!

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July 30th – Romans 8:21

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Romans 8:21

We aren’t the only ones suffering from the bondage of sin. Paul says that all of creation groans in pain under the curses of God. Curses resulting from the fall of man. Because of the sin of Adam, none escaped God’s punishment. Not even His own perfect creation. It too was put under the consequences of sin, resulting in frustration, suffering, and death. And now, like us, the whole creation cries out with a deep longing for the day when Christ returns. The day when our glorious Bridegroom comes for His bride, and all of God’s children are revealed in glory. When all patience and hope will be rewarded, and both man and creation will be set free. Corruption is ended, there will be peace on earth, and God’s creation is restored to its original glory!

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July 27th – John 8:32

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John 8:32

Truth can be defined as the state or character of being true. And that’s exactly who God is. He is truth, light, goodness, and love. It is out of His great love that He sent His Son Jesus Christ who is the physical embodiment of that truth, and the only way to God. (John 14:6) And the moment we receive Christ as our Savior, we are set free. Free from the bondage of sin, condemnation, unrighteousness, and death. Yet sadly, there are those who receive God’s freedom but still live as slaves to the Enemy. They fall for his deceit and let themselves be defined by his lies. They live in emotionalism instead of truth. Emotionalism is the idea that our feelings instead of God’s Word define absolute truth. And instead of putting their faith in Jesus, they put their faith in how they feel at the moment. But emotions can be liars, and only in Christ can be found genuine truth, freedom, love, and peace.

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July 24th – 1 Corinthians 16:13

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1 Corinthians 16:13

In closing his letter to the Corinthians, Paul gives some sage advice to all believers. Be on the alert, stand firm, grow up, and be strong. Why? Because the freedom we enjoy through Jesus can quickly be snatched away if we aren’t on guard. Awareness of what’s going on around us keeps us from slipping back into bondage. And keeping a watchful eye on ourselves, our families, and our world, protects us from the tricks of the Enemy. Next Paul tells us to stand firm in our faith. Spending time with God and in His Word gives us everything we need to arm ourselves against false teachers and false doctrines. It also keeps us growing and maturing in our spiritual walk with the Lord. Finally, Paul says to be strong. And we stand the strongest when we give our weakness to God. Through Him we can overcome any temptation, any attack, and any deception!

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July 20th – 2 Peter 2:20

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2 Peter 2:20

We’ve all heard stories about people who after being freed, return to their abusers. We shake our heads in disbelief and wonder why they they would ever go back. Yet that’s exactly what we do when return to our sinful lifestyle of bondage after receiving freedom through Jesus Christ. As believers we are no longer enslaved to the desires of the world. But sadly, many of us go back to the destructive patterns of the past. We willingly walk back into our jail cells and slap on the cuffs of sin. And each time we return to that prison, we find it harder to break free. Because when we go back, our hearts harden to sin just a little bit more, making it that much more tolerable. It is only when we truly believe in our hearts and minds that happiness can only be found in God, can we walk away from the hold of sin and never again return to the abuse from the Enemy!

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July 8th – Romans 8:15

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Romans 8:15

The moment we receive Jesus as our Savior, we are set free. Freed from the bondage of sin with its fear, despair, and destruction. The Lord takes from us the spirit of slavery and replaces it with the spirit of a beloved child of God. Now we can approach our Master not with fear and trembling, but with love and gratitude. For in His grace, God sends His Holy Spirit to take up residence inside us. And the Spirit reminds us daily of our freedom through Christ so that we don’t return to slavery and fear. Because God doesn’t want us living in shame, defeat, and remorse. Instead, He wants us to live freely and with confidence. Confidence of who we are through Christ, adopted sons and daughters into God’s family. Sons and daughters who can approach the throne of God and cry out, “Abba! Father!”, and know He will welcome us with open, loving arms.

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July 7th – 1 Corinthians 6:12

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1 Corinthians 6:12

Through Christ we have freedom. Because of His fulfillment of the Law, we now live under grace. Unfortunately, like the Corinthians, some Christians use that grace as an excuse for sinful behavior. But Paul makes it very clear. Although all things may be lawful, they may not be profitable The liberties we receive through Jesus are only good if they don’t bring us into bondage, or make fellow believers stumble in their walk. Anything that we value above God, whether it be people, substances, or things, is sin. And any behavior we exhibit that harms or offends other Christians is also sin. As followers of Jesus, the grace He died to give us means that we are called to live by a supernatural standard. A standard only achieved when we live for the Lord, die to self, walk in truth and love, and submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

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