Weekend Message/Devotion
July 1, 2018
John 8:32
Freedom Doesn’t Mean Independence
Freedom doesn’t mean independence, at least not in any spiritual sense.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32
Let’s establish that truth. The truth is that when Christ died on the cross, that sacrifice became the atonement for the sins of mankind for all time. The truth is that sacrifice granted man FREEDOM from the bondage of sin. So, does that mean being freed from sin grants any sense of independence from God or living according to His will?
We know better, don’t we?
With freedom comes responsibility. We certainly are not free from the lure and temptation of Satan. So, we have a responsibility to resist the devil and resist the temptations of this world. We cannot do that on our own, we must rely on God, gospel truths and biblical teachings to prepare us and maintain our freedom from sin.
Now just how do we go about doing that? Read, understand and remember God’s Holy Word. We may not always have committed Scripture to memory, but we can certainly learn and remember the meanings and the messages.
We always have God’s Holy Spirit to turn to in prayer to help us grasp and retain those messages.
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The following five passages were garnered from: THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF BLUE LETTER BIBLE
He reminds us about all that Jesus has taught.
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit — the Father will send Him in My name — will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14:26).
He is a personal witness to testify about Christ.
“When the Counselor comes, the One I will send to you from the Father — the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father — He will testify about Me” (John 15:26).
He convicts us of sin.
“When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment” (John 16:8).
He guides us to truth.
“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come” (John 16:13).
He brings glory to Jesus.
“He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14).
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It isn’t difficult to realize that we cannot maintain a mature Christian life independent of God.
As we celebrate the independence of our nation and the freedoms that we enjoy here, let us also reflect on freedoms as Christians and our dependence on God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The following list of biblical verses speak to our Christian freedom.
Acts 13:38 - 1 Corinthians 6:12 – Psalm 119:45 – Psalm 118:5 – Ephesians 3:12 – Colossians 1:21-23 –
Romans 6:22 - Romans 8:1-4 – Romans 8:20-21 – Luke 4:18 – Galatians 2:4 – Galatians 5:1 - Galatians 3:22 – Galatians 5:13-14 – John 8:36 – 1 Peter 2:16.
I encourage you to read and study these verses and remember the message that they have for us. I also encourage you to get on the internet and seek additional readings and to open your bible and read/hear what God has to say to you.
I pray that you have a great holiday celebration and some good family fellowship and some good fellowship with God. Be Safe!
Let us pray-
