| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair” Our Bible verse for today: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Set yourself free” The truth that Jesus is urging us to know in John 8:32 is multifaceted. As He said about Himself in John 14:6, He “is” the truth. If we know Him, we will find freedom. First and foremost, we are set free from an eternity in hell. But second, in the context of this passage in John chapter eight, the truth Jesus was referring to was all that He had been teaching about knowing God and living victoriously in this life. If we know these truths – really know them as in accepting, embracing, and living these truths – we will be set free. A genuinely saved follower of Christ will know and embrace Jesus and all that He taught, and we will then have been set free from an eternity in hell, but also from a lifetime in bondage to Satan now. This is the truth Jesus calls us to truly know, and which will set us free. What a sad thing it is to watch someone struggling with life and living in bondage to Satan. They have a hole in their heart that they’re desperately trying to fill with things from the world such as possessions, approval, accomplishments, relationships, sex, drugs, or alcohol, but which can only be filled by God. Jesus is right there ready and waiting to set them free from all that. They only need to accept Him and His teaching, live according to Biblical principles instead of worldly standards, and begin to grow in spiritual maturity. What’s holding them back? The answer is that they’re holding themselves back. Jesus is ready to set them free but they’re not willing to be set free. In essence, they’re not willing to set themselves free. How very sad. Even sadder is a Christian who has professed faith in Christ but is still not living in the freedom Christ has granted them. They have been set free by Jesus but they aren’t living like it because they haven’t set themselves free. They have faith in Christ, but they’re still allowing Satan to hold them in bondage to the things of the world. And they are allowing that to be the case. It is voluntary. The fact is that as a Christian Satan has no power to hold you in bondage. The only power he has over you is what you allow him to have. Read 1 Corinthians 10:13. This is a common spiritual problem and it bears further discussion, so we’ll come back to it tomorrow. For today I want to ask you, have you been set free by Jesus? Then live like it by setting yourself free as well. Truly surrender all your issues to Jesus and then live like someone who has been set free. God bless, Pastor Jim |
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