Freedom!

Posted by Marty Esterman on Oct 27, 2011 in Daily Bread | 2 comments

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”. Free to do what? One of the things is the freedom to choose. When we were not in Christ we are “slaves to sin”—that is, we cannot choose righteousness over sin. However, as our sin nature has been put to death, we once again have that ability.

Of course, we still make bad choices. Why? James tells us in verses 1-6: covetousness/idolatry and friendship with the world. These are two sources of temptation– our flesh and the world (and the third being Satan). The solution, James writes, is to submit and resist.

“Submit” This means that we are to place ourselves underneath the authority of another. The Father will not force us to submit. Christ has given us the freedom to choose to submit ourselves to Him. We do out of love for the Father, because He is Love, there is no darkness in Him, and He is sovereign over all things. Our battle, however, is that I want to be in control; I want to do things my way; I want answers to prayer in my time and with my solutions. Submission to God requires us to give all that up and let God do things His way.

“Resist”. That is, ‘set our will against’. Be strong-willed and choose righteousness over sin. Sin no longer has any power over us! But how do we do that when we seem so weak? It’s through the Holy Spirit, constant prayer, the Word and community. Two times in scripture Jesus is tempted by the devil: In the wilderness and at the Garden of Gethsemane. Both times Jesus was isolated– out of his “community group”. But Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, and through prayer and Scripture was Jesus able to resist Satan.

“Choose this day who you will serve”. Choose again today to submit your mind, your heart, and your will to God. Choose at this moment righteousness over sin. Christ has set us free for these very things.