This Sunday in church we heard from several men who have been set free from the addiction of drugs and alcohol. They were all set free by the Truth, by Jesus Christ. He and He alone is their deliverer! Praise to Him for the mighty power of His deliverance which brings complete freedom from the bondage of sin!
“You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32
What is this truth, and what does it set you free from?
The Truth is Jesus Christ; He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). And only through Jesus Christ can we find freedom. Freedom from sin, freedom from having to conform to the ways of this world, freedom from trying to find your self-worth and fulfillment in the things this world has to offer and not succeeding, freedom from the fear of man and the pride of life.
It is only through Jesus Christ that we can say that we are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to obedience which leads to righteousness (Romans 6:16). Jesus can set us free in an instant from sin that has held us in bondage for years. He can set us free from the guilt, condemnation, and self-loathing that living in a lifestyle of sin often brings to our lives; and He can replace them with joy, peace, love, hope, and contentment. The Truth gives purpose to your life and guidance to your days.
How can we know this Truth? We can know this truth by spending time studying and rightly dividing the Word of Truth, the Bible; and by spending time on our knees in prayer before God the Father. All throughout the gospels Jesus prefaces the majority of His statements with “I tell you the truth…” Jesus is the Truth and He always speaks the Truth. The Bible is the absolute truth. Many people today do not believe in absolutes, they believe what fits their situation and what makes their desired choice of a lifestyle acceptable. But God’s truth is absolute, it is free from imperfection, it does not change with the culture, and it will always lead you down the right path (which often looks very different from the path the world is offering).
Many today have chosen lies over the Truth. They have chosen to believe lies straight from the father of all lies, Satan. Satan masquerades as an angel of light, making you believe what he tells you is the truth; but everything from Satan is a lie. Satan feeds us these lies through various avenues. He greatly uses all sorts of media: worldly shows we watch that depict lifestyles far from what God ordains, songs we listen to which fill our minds with things we do not need to think on, and numerous things we read which create longings and desires in us we do not need to have. Satan likes to use the media to deaden our senses to sin. Then when our guard is down and we are “desensitized” to sin, Satan steps in with that temptation, and we easily fall prey.
In Matthew chapter 4 Jesus was also tempted by Satan, but Jesus won the battle, and He won it with the Word of God! Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness with the pride of life, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes. The very same way he tempts us today! We can win the battle the same way that Jesus did, with the Word of God, the Truth, Jesus Christ.
- So take inventory of your life, what lies are you being fed by Satan that you are believing?
- Ask God to reveal them to you, and then ask Him to reveal to you His Truth to combat those lies.
- Stand firm in Christ, be grounded in the Word of God, and walk (or maybe run) in the freedom for which Christ died for you.
“I run in the path of your commands for you have set my heart free.” Psalm 119:32
Holding On...
Tricia
4 comments:
great post! I love this site it's just lovely!
Good Post...
Thank you for the encouragement!
Fabulous post! I agree this Sunday service was AWESOME! So glad the men shared their testimony. We should do that more. I grew up in a church where they would have testimony time. It was great to hear how God was working in people's lives and it also made you realize you are not alone.
Great words of encouragement, Tricia. I always enjoy your posts. Sunday's service was refreshing and renewing to see those men giving their all to the Lord and pressing on toward their goal. Have a great day friend!
Krista
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