UNEQUIVOCAL FREEDOM
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Isaiah [MKJV]
26:1-4 In that day this song shall be sung in the land of Judah: We have a
strong city; He sets up salvation as our walls and banks. Open the gates, and
the righteous nation shall enter in, keeping faithfulness. You will keep him in
perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You; because he trusts in You.
Trust in Jehovah forever; for in the LORD JEHOVAH is
everlasting strength.
John 8:31-34 Then
Jesus said to the Jews who believed on Him, If you continue in My Word, you are
My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free. They answered Him, We are Abraham's seed and were never in bondage to
anyone. How do you say, You will be made free? Jesus answered them, Truly,
truly, I say to you, Whoever practices sin is the slave of sin.
John 16:29-33 The
disciples said to Him, Lo, now You speak plainly and speak no parable. Now we
know that You know all things and do not need that anyone should ask You. By
this we believe that You have come forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do you
now believe? Behold, the hour comes, yea, has now come, that you will be
scattered, each man to his own things, and you will leave Me alone. And yet I
am not alone, because the Father is with Me. I have spoken these things to you
so that you might have peace in Me. In the world you shall have tribulation,
but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.
Yesterday I
shared my morning ponderance of God’s peace may be ours . . . if we are submissively
agreeable with Him. This morning I awoke thinking of His freedom is inseparable
from His peace. They are not two separate traits.
In particular I
think of contrary worry, anxiety as a practiced sin; sin being any way other
that the Way. There is no half-Way, a stumbling struggling kinda-sorta living
in freedom and peace. This is conclusion I’ve arrived at through prayerfully reading
and studying the whole counsel of God, His Word. There is no fence to straddle
as we see ourselves in the light of His Truth. I turn to James [3:11-18] and
consider the wisdom therein: “Does a fountain send forth at the same hole the
sweet and the bitter? Can the fig tree, my brothers, bear olive berries; or a
vine, figs? So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh. Who is wise and
knowing among you? Let him show his works by his good conduct with meekness of
wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and strife in your hearts, do not glory
and lie against the truth. This is not the wisdom coming down from above, but is
earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife are, there is
confusion and every foul deed. But the wisdom that is from above is first truly
pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good
fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of
righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
The availability
of God’s peace and freedom does not automatically make them ours. As with all
else He offers they must be accepted, embraced, and implemented.
EBB4
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