Freedom

July 12, 2015

Devotions:

        "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭18-19‬ KJV)

        Jesus came to preach deliverance to the captives.  Jesus and Paul tell us that when we commit a sin we become a slave to the sin.  The sin holds us in bondage demanding that we do its bidding. against our will.  The slavery to sin is a path of destruction for us and it negatively effects those around us.  Sin is a cruel task master that has no mercy so part of Jesus' assignment was to deliver the captives and then proclaim our freedom.  He procured our freedom by becoming our sin in our place.  This was not to just allow us to continue sinning with no repercussions but to actually set us free from the very thing that was trying to destroy us.  In Christ Jesus we are free from sin.  It cannot reign over us unless we give it permission.  

        "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)" (‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ KJV)

        Jesus set us free from the consequences of sin by His death and He set us free from the power of sin by His life within us.  

        "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." (‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬ KJV)

        Are you living by the strength of His life in you or by your own strength and efforts? You have been set free from the bondage to sin so walk in the freedom that God has given you. Be Jesus conscious in every situation, in every temptation.  He is the power to set you free.  Only believe because it is according to your faith that you walk in the freedom of His grace towards you.