SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/16/2016 8:47 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
Being Made Free
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: John 8:32b
Message of the verses: “and the truth will make you free.” I have to say that this SD will be rather
short, but hopefully meaningful.
I thought
that I would look through the NT for meaningful verses with the word free in
them. That word is used 39 times in the
NT (NASB), but not all of them go along with what we are looking for so I will
sort through them and quote the ones that I think go along with our verse
today.
“Ac 15:29
that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from
things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such
things, you will do well. Farewell."”
“Ro 5:15 But the free gift is not like the
transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more
did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ,
abound to the many.”
“Ro 5:16
The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on
the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in
condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many
transgressions resulting in justification.”
“Ro 6:20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were
free in regard to righteousness.
Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the
free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ro 7:3 So then, if while her husband is living she
is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulterous; but if her husband
dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulterous though she is
joined to another man.
Ro 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
Ro 8:21 that the creation itself also will be set
free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the
children of God.
Ga 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free;
therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
Okay we
will now go onto some commentary on this half verse, but remember one thing
that believers can even be slaves and yet they are free, for if the Son sets
you free you will be free indeed.
In his
commentary John MacArthur writes about some of the things that believers are free
from: this “includes freedom from the
bondage of falsehood, Satan (John 17:15; 2 Cor. 4:4; 1 John 5:18), condemnation
(Rom. 8:1), judgment (John 3:18; 5:24), spiritual ignorance (8:12), spiritual
death (8:51), and, most significantly in this context (v. 34), sin (Rom. 6:18,
22).” “18 and having been freed from sin, you became
slaves of righteousness.” “22 But now having been freed from sin and
enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the
outcome, eternal life.”
Let us look
at Luke 19:10 to see what it was that Jesus came to planet earth: “"For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save that which was lost."”
Also we look at Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he
anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor: He hath sent me to proclaim
release to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at
liberty them that are bruised (Phillips).” Galatians 5:1 tells true believers “Ga
5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm
and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” The book of Galatians has a similar theme as
the book of Romans, “Justification by faith.”
The Galatians had a problem totally believing that and that is why Paul
wrote to them, as seen in 5:1.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to
sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
I chose this verse because it tells me that although Christ set me free
from sin that there is still a battle going on inside me, some call it a battle
with the “old nature” while others call it the “flesh” but regardless of its
name there is still a battle going on inside of me, and Romans 6:11 tells me
that I am dead to sin, that is in position and I need to remember that each and
every day of my life on planet earth.
Jesus set me free and for that I am thankful, and Jesus will give me the
power to battle against the world, the flesh and the devil.
My Steps of Faith for
Today: Remember Christ set me free,
and live like it through His power.
Memory verses for the week:
(2 Corinthians 12:7-10) “7. Because of the surpassing greatness of the
revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given
me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me-to keep me from
exalting myself. 8. Concerning this I
implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient
for you, for power is perfected in weakness,” most gladly, therefore, I will
rather boast in my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10. Therefore I am well content with
weakness, with insults, with distresses, with persecution, with difficulties,
for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Answer to yesterday’s Bible question: “Pontius Pilate” (Luke 3:1)
Today’s Bible question:
“Who had the longer career as a prophet:
Jeremiah or Ezekiel?
Answer in our next SD.
6/16/2016 9:31 AM
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