Daniel 6:1-28

Daniel had faithfully been living out his commitment to the Lord from the time he was a teenager. His witness of integrity and godliness was earned over a lifetime, during which he’d been challenged frequently to compromise his faith.

Today’s passage shows him facing a desperately dangerous situation: the lions’ den. Although we usually focus on Daniel and the animals, a surprising aspect of this story is the reaction of the king.

Though he’d foolishly signed the law that created Daniel’s treacherous predicament, Darius was so impressed with the young man that he tried to rescue him. When the ruler’s efforts failed, he made a surprising statement of trust in the Lord: “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you” (v. 16). Now, that’s a witness!

Does your unwavering devotion to Christ lead others to trust your Savior? Too many Christians have a commitment of convenience. They’ll stay faithful as long as it’s safe and doesn’t involve risk, rejection, or criticism. Instead of standing alone in the face of challenge or temptation, they check to see which way their friends are going. What kind of witness is that? Who will want to follow our God if we ourselves won’t follow Him? Our response either draws others to Jesus or pushes them away.

If you desire to be like Daniel, practice your commitment to Christ, both privately and publicly. The time you spend alone with God will transform your character and increase your devotion. Then your integrity and godly behavior in an unbelieving world will make others long to know the Lord.

One of my professors divided the class into groups of five and asked us to decide which of the following three individuals had the most freedom:

 (1) A person who is not able to sin,
(2) A person who is both able to sin and able not to sin, and
(3) A person who is not able not to sin.
 Less than five minutes into the discussion, my group had concluded that the person who was both able to sin and able not to sin (person #2) had the most freedom. We correctly eliminated option #3 since a person who cannot help but sin is really in bondage. But the unanimity of the decision and the ease with which it was arrived at caused us to suspect that something was wrong. Why would we be asked to “discuss” such a “simple” question in a graduate seminar?

 We had made two serious errors in our deliberation: we did not take into account the biblical meaning of “freedom” and we did not fully appreciate the nature of sin. Like most people, we thought freedom was the ability to do what one wanted to do—whenever, however, and wherever one chose to do it. Consequently, we reasoned that the person who had the most choices automatically had the most freedom. When I wondered out loud whether we really believed that a person who could sin had more freedom than God, who cannot sin, we found out why we needed some time to discuss the question.

 Biblically speaking, freedom is the ability to function the way God designed us to function. This is the reason why freedom and truth are so intertwined; we need to know what our purpose and design are before we can exercise the freedom to fulfill our mission on earth. That is also true of things we ourselves make. A meticulously manufactured Ferrari which, I’ve been told, is a marvel on the road, is completely useless in the ocean. A hammer functions at its best when it is pounding nails, and a multi-million dollar piece of equipment made for space travel is useless to us unless we know its purpose. Similarly, we function at our best when our lives measure up to our Designer’s specifications. It is true that God’s purposes can be fulfilled even through people who reject God, but true freedom is found only in God.

 Misunderstanding the kind of freedom Christ offers leads to a distorted view of the nature of sin. Some find it hard to give a good reason why sin is prohibited by God. Don’t God’s prohibitions limit our freedom? Wouldn’t some acts, at least, be harmlessly enjoyable if God, for some curious reason, did not brand them “sin”? The answer to both questions is no, and the reason is that sin is a serious defect in humanity, not a virtue. It will eventually turn those who relentlessly cling to it into grotesque distortions of God’s original intent for them. Anything that impedes our progress towards our true identity and calling diverts us from our journey to freedom, even when no one else finds out.

 That is why it is not quite true to tell people that knowing the truth will set them free. That phrase is part of a very instructive discipleship statement in John 8:31-32 which reads, “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'” Did you notice the conditional nature of the freedom proclaimed here? Only by holding to the teaching of Christ in the context of purposeful discipleship can true freedom be found. James 1:25 tells us that practicing God’s perfect law gives us freedom. Without a clear understanding of a call to freedom in Christ, any thirst for righteousness and passion for the lost will be seriously hindered, for we will secretly think that the requirements of righteousness are really deprivations.

 No, I am not advocating works salvation. We are saved by grace through faith alone, but in the process of growth as believers, the light of the gospel must gradually shine on those areas of our lives that hold us back from fulfilling our true calling. When the gospel of Christ begins to chip away at those holdups, we learn what it means to be truly free and why it is prudent to hate sin. John Witherspoon was right. In his sermon on the first Thanksgiving Day called after the war for independence in the U.S., he declared, “A republic once equally poised must either preserve its virtue or lose its liberty.”(1) Whether for an individual or a sovereign nation, truth and virtue are the rails upon which the wheels of freedom roll.

 J.M. Njoroge is a member of the speaking team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

 (1) As quoted by Francis Schaeffer, A Christian Manifesto (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1981), 33.

Morning “In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.” / Philippians 2:15

We use lights to make manifest. A Christian man should so shine in his life,
that a person could not live with him a week without knowing the gospel. His
conversation should be such that all who are about him should clearly perceive
whose he is, and whom he serves; and should see the image of Jesus reflected
in his daily actions. Lights are intended for guidance. We are to help those
around us who are in the dark. We are to hold forth to them the Word of life.
We are to point sinners to the Saviour, and the weary to a divine
resting-place. Men sometimes read their Bibles, and fail to understand them;
we should be ready, like Philip, to instruct the inquirer in the meaning of
God’s Word, the way of salvation, and the life of godliness. Lights are also
used for warning. On our rocks and shoals a light-house is sure to be erected.
Christian men should know that there are many false lights shown everywhere in
the world, and therefore the right light is needed. The wreckers of Satan are
always abroad, tempting the ungodly to sin under the name of pleasure; they
hoist the wrong light, be it ours to put up the true light upon every
dangerous rock, to point out every sin, and tell what it leads to, that so we
may be clear of the blood of all men, shining as lights in the world. Lights
also have a very cheering influence, and so have Christians. A Christian ought
to be a comforter, with kind words on his lips, and sympathy in his heart; he
should carry sunshine wherever he goes, and diffuse happiness around him.

Gracious Spirit dwell with me;
I myself would gracious be,
And with words that help and heal
Would thy life in mine reveal,
And with actions bold and meek
Would for Christ my Saviour speak.

Evening “If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” / Galatians 5:18

He who looks at his own character and position from a legal point of view,
will not only despair when he comes to the end of his reckoning, but if he be
a wise man he will despair at the beginning; for if we are to be judged on the
footing of the law, there shall no flesh living be justified. How blessed to
know that we dwell in the domains of grace and not of law! When thinking of my
state before God the question is not, “Am I perfect in myself before the law?”
but, “Am I perfect in Christ Jesus?” That is a very different matter. We need
not enquire, “Am I without sin naturally?” but, “Have I been washed in the
fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness?” It is not “Am I in myself well
pleasing to God?” but it is “Am I accepted in the Beloved?” The Christian
views his evidences from the top of Sinai, and grows alarmed concerning his
salvation; it were better far if he read his title by the light of Calvary.
“Why,” saith he, “my faith has unbelief in it, it is not able to save me.”
Suppose he had considered the object of his faith instead of his faith, then
he would have said, “There is no failure in him, and therefore I am safe.” He
sighs over his hope: “Ah! my hope is marred and dimmed by an anxious
carefulness about present things; how can I be accepted?” Had he regarded the
ground of his hope, he would have seen that the promise of God standeth sure,
and that whatever our doubts may be, the oath and promise never fail. Ah!
believer, it is safer always for you to be led of the Spirit into gospel
liberty than to wear legal fetters. Judge yourself at what Christ is rather
than at what you are. Satan will try to mar your peace by reminding you of
your sinfulness and imperfections: you can only meet his accusations by
faithfully adhering to the gospel and refusing to wear the yoke of bondage.

But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law.   Galations 5:18

The individual who looks at his character and position from a legal point of view will not only despair when he comes to the end of his reckoning, but if he is a wise man he will despair at the beginning; for if we are to be judged on the basis of the law, none of us will be justified. How blessed to know that we live in the realm of grace and not of law! When thinking of my standing before God, the question is not, “Am I perfect in myself before the law?” but “Am I perfect in Christ Jesus?” That is a very different matter. We need not ask ourselves, “Am I without sin naturally?” but “Have I been washed in the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness?” It is not “Am I in myself well pleasing to God?” but “Am I accepted in the Beloved?”

When the Christian views his evidences from the top of Sinai, he grows alarmed about his salvation; it is far better for him to view his position in the light of Calvary. “Why,” he says, “my faith has unbelief in it; it is not able to save me.” Suppose he had considered the object of his faith instead of his faith. Then he would have said, “There is no failure in Him, and therefore I am safe.” He sighs over his hope: “My hope is spoiled and darkened by an anxious focusing on present things; how can I be accepted?”

If he had regarded the ground of his hope, he would have seen that the promise of God stands sure and that whatever our doubts may be, God’s oath and promise never fail. Believer, it is always safer for you to be led by the Spirit into gospel freedom than to wear legal fetters. Judge yourself on what Christ is rather than on what you are. Satan will try to spoil your peace by reminding you of your sinfulness and imperfections: You can only meet his accusations by faithfully holding to the Gospel and refusing to wear the yoke of slavery.

Family Reading Plan   Ezekiel 9   Psalm 48