True Freedom

Friday, June 25th, 2010

Today's Passage: Romans 6: 23
Memory Verse: Galatians 5:1

I often watch the exchange between the state prisoners and the guards who accompany them when they work on the roads.  Sometimes these men are spread out over at least a hundred feet as they work on a stretch of road.  At first glance, everything seems a little too relaxed.  You would think that, if one of the prisoners made an attempt to escape, it would be almost impossible to catch him.  But if you look closer, you'll see that there's a big enough ratio of guards to prisoners that would prevent this from happening.  And wherever the guards are, you'd better believe there's enough firepower to stop the prisoner who dares to try breaking away dead in his tracks.  So although these guys are more free than their compadres at the prison, they're not free at all.

Can you see the parallel to the spirit realm?  Look around you: freedom is what people seem to be crying out for the most these days.  They want freedom from religious "boundaries", freedom to say what they want, wear what they want, eat what they want, and marry who they want.  But what they don't know is that there's an enemy of their souls who knows the rules to spiritual laws more than they do.  The wages of sin has always been death, and will always be death as long as people keep choosing what the flesh wants.  He's counting on the fact that they would mistake the laws of God for bondage because of how limiting they seem to be.  Yet and still, the Father stands by with His arms wide open, willing us to accept His way because it's the only way out of death.

Ever since God created us, humanity has chosen what's easy over what's true.  As a result, we open ourselves up to being devoured by the enemy, who is not so forgiving when we try to leave his camp and come back to God.  Consequently, any of us who chooses "freedom" over truth is condemned to serving time for the devil, living life the way they think they want to.  They don't see the demonic guards watching over and prompting them to do and say more evil.  The moment they dare to break away, out come the guns, and the enemy immediately launches an all-out attack upon their lives, hoping to scare them back into serving him again without causing any trouble.

Here's the point of today's challenge: if you're like me, and you find yourself having escaped the terror of living for the devil because you realize who he really is, make up your mind NEVER to allow yourself to be bullied into accepting that false "freedom" again.  Search your hearts, saints, and ask the Lord to show you any area in which you may be using the liberty that Jesus purchased for us on the cross to make excuses and give you a reason to be rebellious against God in any way.  If I know anything about the enemy's camp, he never takes an inch without ultimately becoming the ruler.  Hold fast to the Word of God and everything Jesus did to make us truly free.  If you find yourself compromising and accepting sin in the lives of others -- even if you're not engaging in it personally -- the enemy is beginning to win.  Let's never forget that nothing born of the enemy is innocent and harmless.  Its ultimate purpose is to steal from, kill, and destroy us, rendering us powerless to take over the world for Jesus Christ.  I bless you to shun worldly freedom and walk in that which is true: freedom in Jesus.

Prayer: Father, You went through so much to make sure I had access to true freedom.  As the end times come closer, help me to cling to Your ways and be a shining example of what it means to walk in everything Jesus purchased on the cross.  I declare over my life and over the lives of all your Saints today that there will be NO compromise, but rather pure choices to follow You with total devotion.  Thank You for Jesus, and may my life always strive to make You famous.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.