“31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If you continue in My Word, then are you My disciples indeed;
32 And you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.
33 They answered Him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how say You, you shall be made free?
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin.
35 And the servant abides not in the house for ever: but the Son abides ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:31-36
Mankind does not like to accept our absolute judgment of death upon our sin nature, our religious activities and our moral values. Now, read that again and let us all think of our own sinful nature, religious activities and moral values and understand that they are condemned to annihilation.
Now that we have swallowed that pill, we must also understand that once we have denied ourselves, we are commanded submit to and trust in God’s Plan for our redemption. Accepting Jesus Christ as our LORD and Saviour is not just a mere phrase us Christians use. It is a reality. Jesus Christ is our LORD because He redeemed us to God the Father.
God’s love for mankind demanded our redemption but His Plan for our redemption has never been very popular. It wasn’t attractive to Cain and it hasn’t gained in popularity ever since. The reason for this lack of “popularity” is because it pronounces absolute judgment of death upon “our part”. Our sin nature, religious activities and moral values are laid waste at the Cross of Christ. They are buried with Him, crucified with Him so that we may be in the likeness of His Resurrection.
“5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him:” Romans 6:5-8
What the modern church needs is not a touch from God but the Truth of God and they shall be made free. The Atonement made possible by the Blood of Jesus Christ is accepted by the church for Salvation and praise God for such. However for Sanctification and daily living for God, the church quickly falls into apostasy. The Cross of Christ is the dividing line as carnal efforts are brought forth as the method for victorious Christian living. Another gospel and another Jesus is lifted up to the congregation as they are deceitfully led away into apostasy. Little by little their faith is transferred into their works for righteousness and holiness and not His Work.
There is freedom in the Cross of Christ. This freedom results in holiness and righteousness, not because of what we do but because of what Jesus Christ has done. By Grace through faith, the Holy Spirit will lead us into all Truth and it will set us free…and if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
Do not place your faith in fads and phenomenons. Place your faith in Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He did on Calvary’s Cross to break the power of sin, and allow the power of the Holy Spirit to work in you according to God’s Will and God’s plan for your life. Let your life be a living sacrifice unto God.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1
Submit to God and be free…free indeed.
-Donna Clark Warren
Living in The Spirit 