Daily Archives: July 6, 2014

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Our Freedom in Christ

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Charles Stanley

To those outside our faith, Christianity often seems like a religion of “dos” and “don’ts.” Many believers also fall into the trap of following a set of religious guidelines instead of enjoying a relationship with their heavenly Father.  Others believe that if Christ died for our sins, we are free to indulge in sinful pleasures—without fear of punishment.

What does it mean that Jesus came to set us free? Let’s look at some liberties we’re granted as believers.

1. Freedom from the bondage of sin.

Many times, behaviors that begin as an exercise of freedom turn into bondage. The thing we once did because we wanted to, we now feel compelled to do by our own desire.

  •  Read Romans 7:19-20. What areas of habitual temptation do you struggle with?

Sin ultimately brings spiritual, relational, emotional, and possibly physical death (James 1:14-15).

  •  What areas in your life have suffered “death” because of sinful thoughts, habits, or other behaviors?
  •  Read Luke 4:17-19. Are you in bondage to an area of sin? If so, ask God to show you how to be set free from that sin’s power in your life.

If nothing comes to mind, pray for a friend or loved one who is struggling with bondage to sin.

2.  Freedom from guilt.

Not only are we set free from the power of sin, but we can also be released from the guilt associated with it. The feeling of guilt results from both real and imagined transgressions. (For instance, someone may feel false guilt for taking a reasonable break from work.) Guilt is also a spiritual condition: those who refuse Christ’s gift of forgiveness remain in a guilty state before God (Rom. 6:23).

  • How does God see us if we have accepted His gift of salvation (2 Cor. 5:21)?
  • Do you ever struggle with feeling at fault for things that are not wrong in God’s eyes?
  • Explain why believers don’t have to feel guilty after confessing a sin (1 John 1:9).
  • Do you have a hard time accepting Christ’s forgiveness? If so, why?

3. Freedom from fear of death.

The average person is afraid to die. But as believers, we can look forward to the afterlife.
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. [Note: the writer uses the phrase “fallen asleep” instead of saying “passed away.” From other passages, we know that when believers die, their spirits go immediately to heaven (2 Cor. 5:8). In a sense, their bodies “sleep” here on earth.]

  • What makes a believer’s grief different from that of the world (v. 13)?
  • Why would Paul think these words were comforting (vv. 17-18)?
  • Can you relate to this sentiment? Why or why not?

Good medical care and healthy living can lengthen life expectancy. However, only faith in Christ gives us eternal life (John 3:16).

4. Freedom from ceremonial law and man-made religious traditions.

Just like our salvation, the process of becoming more Christlike is a work of the Holy Spirit. We participate by submitting to His control, but it’s not something we accomplish in our own power by following religious rules.  

  • The Galatians were being told that as Gentiles, they still had to follow the Jewish tradition of circumcision in order to be saved. What advice did Paul give them (Gal. 5:1)?
  • Read 2 Corinthians 3:17. Have you ever felt in bondage to man-made religious rules or traditions?  Give an example, and explain how you responded to it.
  • What are believers supposed to do with the freedom they enjoy in Christ (Gal. 5:13)?
  • What does verse 13 inspire you to do?

Pastors and other spiritual leaders sometimes attempt to play the role of the Holy Spirit, defining spirituality by a set of rules. This doesn’t mean you should flaunt the reasonable guidelines they set. But it does mean that your growth isn’t necessarily contingent upon your ability to follow religious standards set by others.

5. Freedom from deception and false beliefs.

Most people believe that more money, success, or pleasure will bring them happiness and satisfaction. The truth is, fulfillment in life is found in relationship with the Lord and in following His will.

  • Read 2 Timothy 2:22. What heartaches have you avoided by seeking God’s will?
  • Read John 8:32. Explain a few ways that biblical truth has set you free.

In Christ, we can find freedom from prejudice, worldly perspectives, and harmful beliefs—to name just a few.  

Prayer: The liberties mentioned in this study are a sample of the many we enjoy as children of God.As you finish, thank the Lord for the freedoms He has given you. Include those covered in this study as well as any others that come to mind.

 

Related Resources

Related Video

The Truth That Sets Us Free

God wants to deal with your bondage. Are you ready to be set free? How can you truly be free? (Watch The Truth That Sets Us Free.)

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Not A Hitching Post

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Our Daily Bread

Jeremiah 6:13-20

Ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. —Jeremiah 6:16

You may have heard the saying, “The past is supposed to be a guidepost, not a hitching post.” It’s easy to become tied to memories of “the good old days” instead of using our experiences to find direction for the road ahead. We are all susceptible to the paralyzing effects of nostalgia—a longing for what used to be.

Jeremiah was a priest from a small town near Jerusalem when God called him to be “a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:5). He was given the very difficult job of pronouncing God’s judgment primarily on the people of Judah, who had turned away from the Lord. Jeremiah made it clear that he was delivering God’s message, not his own (7:1-2).

The Lord said, “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it’” (6:16).

God urged His people to look back so they could move ahead. The purpose of considering the ancient paths was to find “the good way” marked by God’s faithfulness, His forgiveness, and His forward call.

God can teach us from our past that the best road is the one we walk with Him. —David McCasland

Though I know not what awaits me—

What the future has in store,

Yet I know that God is faithful,

For I’ve proved Him oft before. —Anon.

God’s guidance in the past gives courage for the future.

Bible in a year: Job 32-33; Acts 14

Insight

Jeremiah, often called the “weeping prophet,” brought a depressing message to Israel: “Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people” (6:19). God would bring the consequences of Israel’s choices on them. Calamity was coming (v.15) because Israel had forgotten the path given in the past (v.16). Yet Jeremiah also offered words of hope: One day God would bring “the remnant” back to Israel and raise up a “Branch of righteousness” (23:3-8).

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Count Your Trespasses

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Alistair Begg

Daily Devotional for July 6, 2014

How many are my iniquities and my sins?  Job 13:23

Have you ever really weighed and considered how great the sin of God’s people is? Think how heinous is your own transgression, and you will find that not only does a sin here and there tower up like an alp, but that your iniquities are heaped upon each other, as in the old fable of the giants who piled Pelian upon Ossa,1 mountain upon mountain. What an aggregate of sin there is in the life of one of the most sanctified of God’s children! Attempt to multiply this, the sin of one only, by the multitude of the redeemed, “a great multitude that no one could number,”2 and you will have some conception of the great mass of the guilt of the people for whom Jesus shed His blood. But we arrive at a more adequate idea of the magnitude of sin by the greatness of the remedy provided.

It is the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s only and well-beloved Son. God’s Son! Angels cast their crowns before Him! All the choral symphonies of heaven surround His glorious throne. “God over all, blessed forever. Amen.”3 And yet He takes upon Himself the form of a servant and is scourged and pierced, bruised and torn, and at last slain; nothing but the blood of the incarnate Son of God could make atonement for our offenses.

No human mind can adequately estimate the infinite value of the divine sacrifice, for although the sin of God’s people is great, the atonement that takes it away is immeasurably greater. Therefore, even when sin rolls in like a flood, and the remembrance of the past is bitter, the believer can still stand before the blazing throne of the great and holy God and cry, “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised.”4 While the recollection of the believer’s sin fills him with shame and sorrow, its very darkness serves to show the brightness of mercy; guilt is the dark night in which the fair star of divine love shines with serene splendor.

1) The giant sons of Iphimedia who tried to reach Olympus by piling Mt. Pelian on Mt. Ossa (The Odyssey).

2) Revelation 7:9

3) Romans 9:5

4) Romans 8:34

Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg.

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The family reading plan for July 6, 2014 * Jeremiah 2 * Matthew 16

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Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Christ exalted

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“This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.” Hebrews 10:12,13

Suggested Further Reading: Revelation 22:12-21

Many of us are expecting that Christ will come; we cannot tell you when, we believe it to be folly to pretend to guess the time, but we are expecting that even in our life the Son of God will appear, and we know that when he shall appear he will tread his foes beneath his feet, and reign from pole to pole, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. Not long shall antichrist sit on her seven hills; not long shall the false prophet delude his millions; not long shall idol gods mock their worshippers with eyes that cannot see, and hands that cannot handle, and ears that cannot hear—“Lo! He comes, with clouds descending;” In the winds I see his chariot wheels; I know that he approaches, and when he approaches he “breaks the bow and cuts the spear in sunder, and burns the chariot in the fire;” and Christ Jesus shall then be king over the whole world. He is king now, virtually; but he is to have another kingdom; I cannot see how it is to be a spiritual one, for that is come already; he is as much king spiritually now as he ever will be in his Church, although his kingdom will assuredly be very extensive; but the kingdom that is to come, I take it, will be something even greater than the spiritual kingdom; it will be a visible kingdom of Christ on earth. Then kings must bow their necks before his feet; then at his throne the tribes of earth shall bend; then the rich and mighty, the merchants of Tyre, and the travellers where gold is found, shall bring their spices and myrrh before him, and lay their gold and gems at his feet;

“Jesus shall reign where’er the sun

Does his successive journeys run;

His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,

Till moons shall wax and wane no more.”

For meditation: You may, or may not, agree with some of the detail of Spurgeon’s understanding of the Second Coming. But do you share his spirit of enthusiasm and readiness, or are you too much in love with the present world (2 Timothy 4:8-10)?

Sermon no. 91

6 July (1856)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Access to God

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John MacArthur

“You . . . are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5).

Throughout history, false gods have been portrayed as remote, indifferent, and apathetic to human needs and generally unapproachable by the common masses. Out of fear, a man might attempt to appease his idols but he has no desire or capacity to draw near to them.

Even those in Old Testament times who worshiped the true God had limited access to Him. The average Jewish person could commune with God through prayer, but was forbidden to approach Him physically. Only the high priest was allowed to enter into God’s presence in the Holy of Holies—but only once a year on the Day of Atonement. Even then he had to go through a ceremonial washing and offer a sacrifice for his own sin. If he failed to prepare himself properly, he could forfeit his life.

Anyone daring to usurp the office of a priest was also in danger of severe punishment by God: King Azariah (also called Uzziah) was afflicted with leprosy, King Saul’s lineage was cursed, and Korah and his rebellious followers were destroyed when the ground opened and swallowed them.

However, we as Christians enjoy unlimited access to the Father through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10:19-22 says, “Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.”

As a member of God’s royal priesthood, you can approach Him with confidence, knowing He loves and welcomes you into His presence just as He welcomes His own Son. Take full advantage of that access by communing with Him in prayer and offering each day as a spiritual sacrifice to Him.

Suggestions for Prayer:

•             Praise Jesus for shedding His precious blood so you can have access to the Father.

•             Praise the Father for being a personal and approachable God.

For Further Study: Read Exodus 19.

•             What did God tell Moses?

•             What were the people to prepare themselves for?

•             Was God approachable to the people?

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Please, Don’t Be Religious

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Joyce meyer

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but within they are full of extortion (prey, spoil, plunder) and grasping self-indulgence. —Matthew 23:25

Jesus frequently chastised the religious leaders of His day because although they did lots of good works, they did them with wrong motives. An abundance of religious works does not always mean the person doing them is close to God. I believe that religious activity can keep us from having an intimate relationship with God and hearing Him speak to us.

Jesus died to open the way for us to have intimacy with God, and that should always come before any good works. It is actually possible to do religious things while our hearts are far from God. We should frequently do “motive checks.” God is more concerned with why we do things than He is with what we do when it comes to religious works. He said true religion is to visit, help, and care for widows and orphans in their affliction (see James 1:27). God wants us to genuinely love and care for hurting people much more than He wants us to try to impress one another with long, eloquent prayers.

Religious people do many things to enhance their reputation rather than to serve God. They may engage in all sorts of good works, but they rarely, if ever, engage in really sharing their hearts with God or allowing Him to share His with them. These people seldom truly hear God’s voice or enjoy deep communion with Him.

God’s word for you today: Focus on your relationship with God, not on being religious.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – He Keeps His Promises

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dr_bright

“Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is the faithful God who for a thousand generations keeps His promises and constantly loves those who love Him and who obey His commands” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

Torn between the desire to surrender his life to the Lord and the desire to be his own person, Tom gave vent to his frustration.

“I want to be a good Christian,” he said, “but I’m afraid of God and what He might do to change my plans. You see, I have great plans for my life and I don’t want to end up wasting it.

“For example, I don’t want to marry someone with whom I would be miserable or risk my opportunities for a successful business career.”

I asked Tom, as I have often asked others, “Do you really believe that God loves you?”

“Yes,” he replied – and that is the general response. Then I reminded him that Jesus Christ so loved him that He was willing to die on the cross for his sins.

“Do you believe that He died for you?”

“Yes,” Tom agreed, and that also is the general reply.

Then, my final question, “Don’t you think that you can trust the omnipotent Creator God, who so loved you that He sent His only begotten Son, who Himself loved you so much that He was willing to die on the cross for your sins, that you may have a full and abundant life here on earth and for all eternity?”

Tom’s response was, “I’d never thought of it that way before. Of course I can trust Him, and I will.”

Together we knelt in prayer, and God touched his life in such a dramatic way that he has since been used to introduce many thousands to our Savior.

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 7:6-8, 10-13

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Today I will surrender my will to do the will of God in all things, because I know that He is a God of love, wisdom, compassion and concern who wants the very best for me. I will share this good news with other Christians who are reluctant to surrender their wills to Him and with nonbelievers who have not yet entered into the joy and excitement of the supernatural life.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; G.C. – Next and Best

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Next time you’re enjoying a picnic at the local park, silently count the little kiddo’s zooming around in the play area. According to current research, 2.7 million children in the United States have an incarcerated parent. In other words, one-in-28 American children have a parent convicted of a crime and serving time. Just 25 years ago, the number was one-in-125…not a particularly encouraging trend.

My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.

Proverbs 6:20

Only Jesus had a perfect father: everyone else has human Moms and Dads that struggle with brokenness and failure. Likewise, most of you that have become parents are painfully aware of your own faults and foibles, yet the Bible is clear: you are to train your children to follow your example. It may sound like a hopeless cycle of inadequacy, but it’s not. Jesus’ power over death bought you power over the chains of generational calamity.

What can you do? First, be careful to model a compassionate devotion in faith. Then pray that God will stop the succession of sin and intervene in this nation’s future: understand that tomorrow’s leaders are charting their course today. Most importantly, believe that, with God’s blessing, it is possible for America’s next generation to become America’s best generation.

Recommended Reading: Philippians 3:13-17