Daily in Christ 1/24

January 24THE BONDAGE BREAKERJohn 8:36If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed The contrast between bondage and freedom in a believer’s life is beautifully illustrated in the following letter from a successful professional man. Dear Neil: My emotional troubles were probably rooted in my childhood experiences with horror movies, Ouija boards, etc. I clearly remember fearing a visit from devilish forces after I saw the movie titled The Blood of Dracula. My father had a pretty hot temper and was given to emotional outbursts. My survival response was to sulk and blame myself for upsetting him. Bottling my emotions inside became a way of life. As I grew into adulthood, I continued to blame myself for any and all personal shortcomings and misfortunes. Then I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. I grew spiritually over the next several years, but I never enjoyed complete peace. There was always a lingering doubt about my relationship with God whom I saw as distant and stern. I had difficulty praying, reading the Bible and paying attention to the pastor’s sermons. I seriously questioned the purpose of life. I experienced horrible nightmares which woke me up screaming. It was during my time of prayer with you that I finally found freedom in Christ. Now when I read God’s Word, I understand it like never before. I have developed a more positive attitude, and my entire relationship with my Lord has completely changed. Since our meeting, I haven’t had one nightmare. I’m not saying that every spiritual problem is the result of direct demonic activity. But you may be in bondage because you have overlooked or denied the reality of demonic powers at work in the world. Your inheritance in Christ is the basis for your complete freedom promised in Scripture. Prayer: Help me not to be a spiritual ostrich today, but to be alert to my enemy’s tactics and to Your truth.

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The Message Matters

There is Only One Message – the Message Concerning Jesus Christ

Hear

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But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Believe

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The message matters. And not just any message. There is only one that will save and that is the message concerning Jesus Christ.

Paul had been very exact in his presentation of the Gospel to the Corinthians. He didn’t use fancy words or persuasive tactics in his communication. He simply preached the death, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Add to this message or take away from it and you have robbed it of its power.

The Corinthians were doing just that. Many of the Corinthians believed water baptism was part of the Gospel message. Others relied on the wisdom of man as the way and means of knowing God. But these just caused all kinds of confusion and even divided the believers to the point that Paul called them babes in Christ.

There is nothing we can add as far as the Gospel is concerned. It is all of Jesus and none of us. His death took away our sins. His resurrection brings life to our dead spirits. This doesn’t make sense to us. It even sounds like foolishness. This isn’t the message our minds would conceive. That is why it had to be revealed to us by the Spirit of God.

Live

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The message of Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection is both the power of God and the wisdom of God. Strip away those things that you have added to this message in order to experience the freedom you already have entered.

The message does matter. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

In Him,

Bob Christopher

For more information, please visit Basic Gospel at BasicGospel.net and OnePlace.com.

Grace Moments Devotions – January 24, 2021

January 24
The weight of sin
Diana Kerr

I’m fascinated by the fact that all the toppings at a frozen yogurt shop cost you the same amount per pound. Clearly the breakfast cereal toppings or gummy bears cost the owners less per pound than the nuts and fruit, right? I load up on pecans and fruit because, hey, when they weigh my bowl, it will all cost me the same. Outside of the froyo shop, that logic doesn’t make sense, but in there, the price is equal.

When it comes to sin, though, we’re really good at weighing it unevenly, aren’t we? I get it. It’s almost impossible not to. According to society and our justice system, sin isn’t created equal. But in God’s court, sin is sin. It all weighs the same, and we’ve all been charged equally: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Yep. One sin, even one tiny sin, separates me from God, and the price is death. (I need to remember this when I’m smugly thinking I’m better than others.) To God, the cost for an ever-so-slightly snarky comment toward someone is the exact same as the cost for a grotesque sexual sin.

That’s heavy news without the gospel, but here it is: “Our old self was crucified with him. . . . Anyone who has died has been set free from sin” (Romans 6:6,7). Miraculously, mercifully, Jesus paid the cost through death, and his death counts for us. Our sins’ weight was crushing, but now we’re light and free.

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Don’t Go Off the Bridge – From His Heart – January 24

DON’T GO OFF THE BRIDGE

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Galatians 5:13

Bridges freak me out a little. I can remember driving over the Golden Gate Bridge and feeling a little uneasy… ok, a lot uneasy. I don’t like heights, and looking over the side made me look forward to getting to dry land. A false move on the Golden Gate Bridge would not be good, to say the least.

The Christian life is a lot like a narrow bridge—Jesus called it a narrow road that leads to life. As you and I stay on the bridge, walking in the light with the Lord, all is well and life is filled with joy, peace, purity and fulfillment. But, there are dangers to either side of us on this narrow bridge. If you wander off on either side, you are in serious trouble.

LEGALISM ON THE RIGHT SIDE

On the right side is a fast flowing stream of crystal clear water, white-capping rapids, actually. In those rapids are sharp rocks. There is no way to traverse that stream without serious injury. If you fall in there, you will get beat up and cut up for sure.

The danger on the right side represents legalism. Legalism is gritting your teeth and trying with all your might to live the Christian life and please God in the power of the flesh. It is an exercise in futility that leaves you broken and bleeding with guilt and frustration as you fail and fail and fail.

Jesus died and rose again for us… so we could walk in freedom. He wants us to trust Him and let Him live the Christian life through us. The little poem says it best, “I can’t, He never said I could. He will, He always said he would.”

The way you know you have fallen into stream of legalism is that you lose your joy. The Christian life becomes drudgery, a list of rules that you must keep or else. It is a horrible, miserable way for a Christian to live. Beware falling into legalism.

LICENTIOUSNESS ON THE LEFT SIDE

On the left side on the bridge is a rancid stream filled with raw sewage. If you fall in there, you will get extremely sick.

The danger on the left side represents licentiousness, a total 180 from legalism. A licentious person sees God’s grace as a license to sin. Sexual immorality, partying like a rock star, hedonism and pleasure-seeking all encompass the licentious person. Like the prodigal son, those who fall into this kind of living always end up at the pig sty, consumed with shame over a life lived in open abomination to God.

THE DEVIL

The devil doesn’t care which side you fall into, he just wants you off the bridge. The devil knows that if you stay on the bridge with the Lord, you will experience the wonderful blessings of heaven. Since the devil is a thief who comes only to steal and kill and destroy, he will try with all his might to get you to wander off the bridge. For some, he will tempt with rules and regulations, appealing to a person’s pride—look at how godly I am! For others, he will tempt with the passing pleasures of sin that appeal to the flesh.

But the good news is this: “Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

I don’t know where you are today, but God does. He knows, and He cares. If you are derailed and have fallen into legalism or licentiousness, you can get back on track with Jesus… and you can do it today. Cry out to Him. Confess your sins to Him.

Regardless of what you have done, His hand is stretched out to you today. He says, “Take My hand and let’s walk together again.”

What is your answer to Him?

Love,

Pastor Jeff Schreve,
From His Heart Ministries

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Dr. Jeff Schreve believes that no matter how badly you may have messed up in life, God still loves you and has a wonderful plan just for you. From His Heart provides real truth, love and hope on over 700 radio stations each day, in 182 countries each week on TV, and is always available online.  Pastor Jeff takes no income from this ministry. All donations go to furthering the broadcast outreach. As a listener/viewer supported ministry, we thank you for joining with us to help speak the truth in love to a lost and hurting world. Go to www.fromhisheart.org for more information.

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