How is it that...

            Jesus called us to a life of freedom, yet all it is Christians seem to be known for is their strict set of rules, of do’s and don’ts. How did this happen? Remember the Pharisees? Those keepers-of-the-law, who were oh-so-blind to the truth? Has that become us?

Matthew 15: 6-9

            Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.”

            I am no longer a slave to sin or to the law because my redeemer has set me free! Galatians 3:24 says, Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, and locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.  What good news-we are no longer slaves to sin, or prisoners held by the law! So why aren’t we living as the free people we are meant to be? Paul says It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Christ came to set us free! Let us live as children free from the burdens and worries of this world, alive in our King and His promise.

I am free to…

Receive love from my creator

Love without expectation

Know unending joy

Show mercy freely

Give grace abundantly

Boast in the Lord

Serve joyfully

Experience transcending peace

Hope for something greater

and follow my King wherever He leads me. 

Christ is Life

I have read this verse countless times, and it seems that every time I encounter it, God reveals something new to me. Isn't it wonderful how He can do that? Anyway it seemed an apt title for my blog because He has recently been revealing the importance and absolute necessity of keeping Christ the center of EVERY part of my life. That's right. Every part. Holding anything back for myself won't do me an ounce of good. He is teaching me to surrender myself to Him in order that He may kill each part of me only to resurrect it as pure, holy, and blameless in Him. It's painful, but amazing. Christ is the only place where we will truly find life, and as we accept this we will find that life in Him is better than we ever could have imagined.

My prayer is that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we would be able to surrender daily and through this recognize the beauty of Paul's statement: To Live Is Christ.