Tag Archives: it was for freedom Christ set you free

July 4, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Living In Freedom

I once heard the story that some scientists did an experiment with some fish. They took a predator fish and its prey and put them in the same tank. The predator ate the prey. The scientist then placed a piece of glass in the middle dividing the aquarium. They placed the prey on the other side of the glass. They predator repeatedly attacked, but kept hitting the glass. Each day it tried fewer and fewer times to go after the prey. When it quit trying, they removed the glass. They prey fish swam all over, but the predator never went after them. Whether the study is true or not, I don’t know, but the conditions of the mind is true.

Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (NLT). You and I are raised and live in a society that lives in opposition to God’s way of living. Our minds are like the predator fish. We’ve been conditioned with the mindset of this world and its values. We are in need of transformation and renewal of our minds so that we can live the way God called us to live, which starts by changing how we think. Our thoughts direct our behavior, as referenced by the predator. God wants to continually transform us through our mindset.

1 Corinthians 7:23 says, “Since a great price was paid for your redemption, stop having the mind-set of a slave” (TPT). Once we receive Christ, we are set free from being slaves to sin and our fallen way of thinking and living. Even though we are free, we will have to continually fight against the glass in the tank mentality. That’s why we need God to renew our minds and our way of thinking. We often fall short of who He created us to be because we live with our old mindset. Pray today that God would transform your mind and way of thinking so that you can live the life you were created to live. Remember Galatians 5:1: “Freedom is what we have—Christ has set us free! Stand, then, as free people, and do not allow yourselves to become slaves again” (GNT).

Photo by Dino Reichmuth @ Unsplash

Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

Running Free

The book of Nehemiah takes place after Israel had been in captivity in Babylon for 70 years. Ezra had returned years earlier with a small group of people to rebuild the Temple, but did nothing to rebuild the walls. Nehemiah had asked about the rebuild situation and found out that the walls were in shambles. That’s when he wept over it and got the burden to rebuild the walls. It only took them a matter of a couple months to gather the stones and rebuild the walls. When they had finished, the people all gathered together in Jerusalem to hear to Law of Moses being read aloud. They began to weep over their sin, but Nehemiah stopped them. He reminded them that it was a day of celebration, not mourning.

A few weeks later they all returned to Jerusalem to for another gathering. This service was six hours long. They read the Law for three hours and then spent three hours confessing their sins and weeping before the Lord. When they had finished, they wrote out a pact to the Lord to say they would obey His Word. Toward the end of that pact, in Nehemiah 9:36 they wrote, “So now today we are slaves in the land of plenty that you gave our ancestors for their enjoyment! We are slaves here in this good land” (NLT). As I read that, I couldn’t help but think of how many Christians are in the same boat they were in. We are slaves to sin in a land of plenty that Jesus paid for.

Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (NKJV). All Christians have temptations and at one time or another can get entangled or enslaved to sin. The writer here calls us to freedom like Galatians 5:1 does. The way we get free is the same way the Israelites did in Nehemiah. We need to get into God’s Word and we must confess our sins. Don’t go another day living as a slave to your sin when God has set you free. It was for freedom that He set you free. Lay aside that sin and run your race in freedom.

Photo by Venti Views on Unsplash

Escaping The Prison Of Shame

My friend and I were discussing shame last week and all the effects it has on believers. It’s a mental prison that incarcerates too many people. So many of us remember our past vividly, even though we’ve been forgiven of it and set free from it. Our enemy uses the shame of what we’ve done to tell us that we’re not qualified or worthy to be a Christian or to do any ministry. He tells us, “If they knew what you’ve done, they wouldn’t be so nice to you.” When those mental attacks come, many of us go running back to what we’ve been set free from or we run into the prison of shame. This is not God’s plan for you.

The book of Exodus chronicles the children of Israel leaving Egypt. God set them free from their slavery and off they went marching through the Red Sea. They were making great progress until they experienced the mental attacks in the desert. Over and over they were held captive by their past because they romanticized their prison. Numbers 14:4 says, “So they said to one another, ‘Let’s choose a leader and go back to Egypt!’” (GNT) Even though that had been set free, they were willing to give up the promises God had given them and return to slavery. That’s exactly what shame does. It makes us turn from God, the one who can help us, and desire the thing He’s set us free from.

Galatians 5:1 says, “At last we have freedom, for Christ has set us free! We must always cherish this truth and firmly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past” (TPT). You have been set free and forgiven from your past. It is your testimony, not your shame. We overcome by the word of our testimony. Don’t let the enemy keep you quiet, cause you to be ineffective or have you return to it. The truth is that if others knew what you’ve been set free from, their faith in God would grow, others who are fighting that battle would have courage to trust God and you will possess the promised land. You have been miraculously set free! Walk in your freedom and refuse to return to the prison of your past.

Photo by Denis Oliveira on Unsplash