SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/18/2016 10:23 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
The Promise of Freedom
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: John 8:35-36
Message of the verses: “35 “The slave does not remain in the house
forever; the son does remain forever. 36 “So if the Son makes you free, you
will be free indeed.”
It is good
to have promises that you can count on and as we look at these verses we can
understand that those who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord
will be free from the curse of the Law, free from the curse of sin as they have
become justified because of their union with Christ. Yes it is good to have this promise, to believe
it and to understand it.
We see the analogy
of a slave that Christ uses again in verse 35, as He tells His listeners that a
slave does not remain in the house forever, however the son does remain
forever. MacArthur adds “The son has
permanent rights in the household; the slave does not.” We have talked about the children of Abraham,
the Jews as they are called today even though that was only one of the tribes
of Israel, but the dominant one, and we said that all of the children of Israel
are descendants of Abraham, but that is only physically. They too have to receive the new birth, to
believe that God was going to send a Redeemer to care for the sin problem which
He did in the person of Jesus Christ.
The OT Jews lived before the cross of Christ and looked forward to when
God would send the Messiah to earth, we as believers today look back at the
cross to see that God’s promise did take place and as we look at the cross we
can see that if we accept what Christ did on the cross we will become born into
His family, we will be sons and not slaves anymore. Jesus said the following in Matthew 8:11-12 “11
“I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table
with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12 but the sons of the
kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
MacArthur adds “It is only those who receive Jesus Christ as the Son of
God (whether descended from Abraham on not) who are truly sons of God (1:12;
Rom. 8:14; Gal. 3:26; 4:6; 1 John 3:1-2).”
It a good time to remember what was the purpose of John writing this
gospel “30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of
the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been
written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and
that believing you may have life in His name.”
Let us once
again look at John 8:32 to see that in 8:36 we see that Jesus reiterated His
promise of verse 32: “and you will know
the truth, and the truth will make you free.’”
“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” We can see from verse 36 that Jesus has the
authority to release those who put their faith in Him from the bondage of sin
and then make them sons of God. Not only
does He release them from the bondage of sin, but according to John 1:12,
Romans 8;15 Galatians 4:5 and Ephesians 1:5 He adopts them into the family of
God. Romans 8:17 shows us that Jesus
takes those who believe from a position of slavery to one of sonship, what a
wonderful promise. “and if children,
heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with
Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”
We will end
this portion of our SD with the words of Charles Wesley’s wonderful hymn “An
Can it Be.”
And Can It Be
Lyrics
And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Combine this song with “Amazing Grace” and I
am in awe of what Christ did for me.
My Steps of
Faith for Today: Continuing to
get the Word out, and continue meditation on my memory verses.
Memory verses for today (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 has said to me, "My
grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most
gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power
of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with
insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s
sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Answer to yesterday’s Bible question: “The horse and the rider” (Exodus 15:1).
Today’s Bible question: “What
happened to the fruit that fell on good ground?”
Answer in our next SD.
6/18/2016 11:01 AM
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