FREEDOM IN CHRIST – BUY WHY?
“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32) [Jesus speaking to the apostle Peter]
“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” [Galatians 5:13]
“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” Psalm 51: 12-13 [David pouring his heart out to the Lord]
There is nothing like going to sleep exhausted and waking in the middle of the night only minutes later to find three different scriptures so strong in my heart that I could not help but rouse myself fully awake to piece together the verses like a puzzle. Why would God lead me to those scriptures? What was their significance? I shut my eyes and sought the Lord in my heart and listened. I have set you free to help others, yet you are using your freedom for yourselves.
When we repent of our sins and believe the Gospel that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He died to pay the death penalty for our sins, we are forgiven, saved from God’s wrath and eternity in hell and born again spiritually, promised everlasting life, and can now enter into a personal relationship with God. True repentance, true belief in Christ, and true salvation are followed by a life committed to walking in God’s ways and to loving and serving Him with all our hearts.
But we are not forgiven and set free only for ourselves; we are called and equipped to love others and help them to hear about and receive salvation in Christ and to learn to love and serve the Lord with all their hearts also. The three scriptures the Lord had placed on my heart make it abundantly clear we have a profound responsibility with the freedom in Christ we have been given; we are called to “strengthen thy brethren,” “in love serve one another,” and “teach transgressors thy ways.” But if we are honest with ourselves, how many of us are too busy enjoying our freedom in Christ to help others find theirs?
If you have found freedom in Christ, are you using your freedom to strengthen, serve, and teach others? If you have not yet found freedom in Him, you would be very welcome to contact me at 843-338-2219 or via love@walkbyfaithministry.com. I would be blessed to help you find the freedom that can only come in Him.