Set Free

At the cross we were set free.

“It was for freedom that Christ set us fee;

therefore keep standing firm
and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”
Galatians 5:1

Great question to ponder and consider:  What were you set free from and what were you set free to?

Most people think that they were set free from the Law.  That is not Biblical.  We were set free from the guilt of the Law.  The Law is good; it is God’s provision and protection for us.  It teaches us about the Lawgiver.  It shows us that we are not holy and righteous in our own flesh, and it shows us our need for a Savior.  As New Testament believers, we follow the New Covenant law that does not delete the Old Testament law, but sums it up in two laws:

1.       Love the Lord your God with all your hear, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
2.       Love your neighbor as yourself.  (Matthew 22:37-39)

God did free us from the food laws in Acts 10 when He lowered a sheet full of animals to Peter and told him to eat.  Three times Peter refused, but then God spoke, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unclean.”

 Jesus came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill the law.  He is our completeness in the law.  But He also knows human flesh, having walked on the earth for 32 years.  He made a way for us to remain righteous even when we mess up and break the law.  Confession and repentance is found in

1 John 1:9. 

The first century church struggled with this concept of being free from the Law and allowing too much grace.  They finally told Gentiles that were coming to know Christ to do just a couple of things: abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood and from things strangled, and from fornication.  Romans 8:1-2 is a great verse about grace:

                “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  A fourth century monk really struggled with this unlimited grace and he took part of verse four and put it up into verse one so that it reads in the KJV, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”  See the condition?

Well, Paul has an answer in Romans 6:1-2 – “What shall we say then?  Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?  May it never be!  How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”

Freedom from the guilt of the law is much different than being free from the Law.  The world wants to be free from all authority and responsibility.  Christians are under the authority of the cross and God the Father.  They are responsible as bondservants to follow Christ’s commandments.  Jesus sums up our freedom in John 8:32 – “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mind; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Don’t remain in the bonds of Satan.  Choose freedom this day and confess, repent, and move forward in God’s grace and mercy and great love.

 

Redeemed

"For you have been bought with a price;
therefore glorify God in your body."
1 Corinthians 6:20

When you go to the grocery store and "redeem" a coupon, you have traded something of value for something else.  To redeem something is to pay a price for it, to clear something by payment.  Jesus redeemed us on the cross.  He bought us, paid for us, cleared us with the payment of His blood.  We are redeemed as believers.  And there is a no return policy!

Because we have been bought with a price, we are to glorify God in our bodies.  Freedom in Christ is not freedom from authority or rule.  It is freedom from sin and freedom to holy living and a relationship with God.  The world does see this as freedom and chooses to stay chained to their sins and the Father of lies.  But what freedom it is!  Free to know that you are loved!  Free to choose to live holy and clean before God! Free to hope for eternity!  Free to share your hope with others! 

How do we glorify God in our bodies?  We are to be a living sacrifice. (Romans 12:1).  We are to allow Jesus to be Lord of our lives instead of ourselves.  This means putting every decision, every relationship, every thought under His control.  Of course, we can only do this because God is good and wants good for us.  That does not mean bad things will happen because we live in the world and Satan is the Lord here.  By following Christ, you are setting yourself up against the prince of this age.  Bad things happen, but Jesus will be there with you in the midst and He will give you joy in the midst.

You have been bought.  You belong to Another.  Live that way!

Sanctified

We have been justified - legally declared righteous.
We have been reconciled - our relationship with God has been restored
And we have been sanctified - set apart and made clean
and we are to live sanctified - set apart and holy

"But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God,
you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification,
and the outcome, eternal life."
Romans 6:22

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification;
that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;
that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor..."
1 thessalonians 4:3-4

Sanctifiication then is a finished act at the cross and a continuing act as we live holy before God.  Does this mean that we earn our salvation?  May it never be!  (No!).  What it does mean is that because we are clean, we are to keep being clean.  1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  So, God knows that we will still sin.  But if we confess that sin, then we are cleansed (sanctified). 

We have the Holy spirit within us, Jesus interceding for us, and God the Father forgiving us.  Once we kneel at the cross, the blood of Jesus sanctifies us and cleanses us so that the Holy Spirit can reside within us.  We just have to keep clean through right living and confession to be able to go before the Father in relationship.  We are His - His prince or princess.  Our sins do not take us from that relationship, but we don't want to appear before the King in rags, so we take a bath first!

So, does that mean we can go and sin as much as we want to as long as we confess it?  May it never be! (No!). Once we have been truly cleaned and know the feel and power of righteousness, we should want to stay in that state of cleanliness.  Once we have been declared holy, why would we want to revert to unholiness? 

We were sanctified at the cross.  We are to live a sanctified life.

Reconciled

"Much more then, having now been justifed by His blood,
we shall be saved from the wrath of God through HIm.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,
much more, having been recondciled,
we shall be saved by His life. 
And not only this, but we also exult in God through our lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Romans 5:9-11

Having been justified - declared righteous through a legal action - now we can also be reconciled. 

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, all men were destined to be born with a sin nature.  Having a sin nature keeps man from being able to walk with God.  As Adam knelt behind a bush in the garden fearing God, God walked through the garden in the coolness of the day and cried out, "Adam, where are you?"  Adam in his sinfulness hid from God.  God, already knowing the sin, prepared a sacrifice to cover their nakedness.  The blood of that animal was shed to provide garments of modesty for Adam and Eve.  But God no longer was able to walk with them in the garden because His holiness keeps Him from being able to abide with sin, and sinful was man's nature.

Christ's blood covers our sin and we are able once again to be in the presence of the Almighty God. The cross did not just give us forgiveness of our wrongdoings, though it did do that, but even greater, it put to death our sinful nature and we are made alive in Christ Jesus!  Now, with the blood covering us, our sin nature put to death, we were justified and can now be reconciled with God.

Reconciliation is the reuniting of a relationship.  We can enter into God's presence.  We can come boldly before His throne!  We can walk in the garden with Jesus or sit at His feet and lean upon His knee.  We can dance dance before the King and bow before Him in worship.  We can have a relationship with God.

Wow!  That is such a big statement!  We can have a relationship with God!  The Greeks and the Romans would never have thought to make such a claim.  The god and gods of this day want to rule over us and to control us, but God wants to relate to us in love and joy!  He is our Father, our Lord, our Friend, our Savior.  Seek HIm.  Listen to His words.  Pray to Him.  And let His love soak through you and be renewed each morning in His presence.  What a difference that makes!

And it is ours throughout eternity!  I can't wait to leap into His arms, snuggle on His lap, sit at His feet, and run with Him through the fields of heaven.  But I don't have to wait!  I can do that even now!  I am reconciled with Him. 

Justified

At the cross we were justified!

"Therefore, having been justified by faith,
we have pace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ..."
Romans 5:1

So what does it mean that we were justified?  Justification is actually a legal term and action.  God signed a legal contract at the cross declaring us not guilty, innocent, absolved, acquitted.  Once we are justified, then no one can take us back to court for the same crime or sin. 

Justification is a fact.  An irreversible decision and action.  If you have asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins, then you are justified. Period.  It is finished.  There si nothing that you can do to get God to reverse His verdict.

So what does that have to do with how you live your life?  Well, when Satan whispers in your ear that you are so bad that God can't forgive you, you can remind him that you are justified; already judged and been declared righteous. 

Being justified is also the first step towards reconciliation.  Reconciliation is the process of renewing a relationship.  Because we are no longer considered guilty in God's eyes through the blood of the cross, we can enter into a relationship with Him.  We can "...draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

Justification is a one time action.  We don't have to keep being justified.  We are justified. Period.  Legally we are God's.  Ruth Bell Graham wrote a peom about two sheep.  both were the Shepherd's sheep, but one came limping home, worn out, abused, disgraced and the other came bounding in exultantly with great joy.  Both were justified, bought with a price and declared fit for the Kingdom, but only one knew the joy of walking with Jesus along the way and abiding by His word and instructions.  Which will you be?  You will stand before God and give account of your words and actions.  You are forgiven, but are you victorious?

What Happened at the Cross?

Good morning!  It has been awhile since I posted.  I needed some time to get my feet back on the ground after a tough spiritual battle.  God wins!  And I am once again fully His!  There is victory in letting go of judgment and pride and letting God be God.  I am not in control and I am so glad!!!

I am getting ready to do a women's retreat and we are starting at the cross.  My question to the ladies will be: "What happened at the cross?"  Answers will be in the form of "We were..."  some that I have come up with include:

We were...
forgiven
Set free
Redeemed
Justified
Made pure

I came up with many more, but what about you?  What can you add to my list? 

This is a great process.  The next step will be to define what those words actually mean lived out in our lives.  Stay tuned!