Most Gracious Lord, it was You who set me free from the power of sin and provided me with eternal life. The freedom You gave me did not free me to do whatever I want because it would lead me again into slavery to my selfish desires. Instead, thanks to You, I now am now free and able to do what was impossible before … to live unselfishly. If I use my freedom so I can have my own way or indulge in my own desires then I have become a “back slider.” I must stand with You against anyone or anything that becomes more important to me than You. Trickery is the tool of my enemy which he uses to get me to abandon the security of my salvation or throttle my growth in You. I must never be tempted to use my deeds to curry favor with You.
Your Word instructs me that the only way to be saved is by faith and not by the deeds that I do. What You make clear is that no amount of work, discipline or moral behavior on my part can save me. Overflowing love is the natural response to my forgiveness and a consequence of faith. Only when I realize the depth of my sins can I appreciate the forgiveness You offer. The good news is that You rescued all of Your followers whether they were extremely wicked or outwardly good. My genuine love for You and others becomes a response to my being forgiven and redeemed. I must understand that Your forgiveness is complete once I confess my faults and have true contrition. As a result of Your benevolence, the more I am forgiven the more I must love. Since faith expresses itself through love for You and others, I can use it as a check on how much my faith is growing.
When I am not motivated by love, I can become very critical of others. I stop looking for the good in them and see only their faults. Soon my unity with my fellow believers is broken. Since I have been freed from bondage, I must stop focusing on other’s shortcomings instead of their strengths. I must not lose sight of Your command to love others as I love myself. If there are problems that need to be addressed, it is best for me to confront them with love rather than gossip or use harsh tactics. I can only be successful in my new freedom if I am willing to be led by the Holy Spirit. His role is to help me develop into a “Christ-like” follower. When I submit to Him, I will start to learn how to walk in the freedom You earned for me. I know that as I master what it takes to follow in Your footsteps, then I will be free indeed. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
John 8:34-36 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”