ISAIAH 61:1 “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”
I truly love this scripture! Many years ago I did a Bible study by Beth Moore entitled “Breaking Free.” This study made one of the greatest impacts upon my life. I was saved as a young teenager and married my high school sweetheart who was called into the pastoral ministry when he was 22 and I was a wise 19 year old. Needless to say how young and naïve we were! All that being said we loved Jesus with all our heart. Not being raised in a Christian home I didn’t really comprehend just what my new free gift of salvation really involved. I was just so glad I was going to heaven and not doomed for hell.
Years passed by very quickly. As a young Christian with Larry working full time job, pastoring a small church, and running revivals, it seemed like a whirlwind as I look back on the first 10 years of our marriage. I remember one year when we had 13 weeks of revival from the spring till summer. We literally would come home from work and change our clothes head to church and come crash in the bed every night. After many weeks of doing this one night I told Larry I said sweetie I’ve got to stay home tonight I don’t think I can go another night I’m exhausted and besides that somebody’s got to wash some clothes!! Back then he really wanted me with him nearly all the time so he said “oh honey come on we will get to rest this Saturday.” I said honey if you don’t let me stay home tonight I won’t be able to pray for you I’m just too tired!! I think he finally got it- I better let the old girl rest tonight I believe she’s about “to meet her Waterloo!!” We’ve laughed about this so much down through the years.
You would think being in church as much as I was that my knowledge of the grace of God would be really growing by now, but busyness if we are not careful can keep us from a close relationship to the Lord even if it is going to church a lot. There is no substitute for reading God’s word and allowing his spirit to speak and reveal his will to you! Discipleship is so important and especially to new converts. The Bible consists of telling us as God’s children how to live free in Christ. Being free comes to us with such a great cost, one we could never work hard enough to accomplish nor attain enough riches to pay the debt we owe! The ransom was high! It cost God his one and only son-who did no wrong and took upon himself the sins of all mankind. Just imagine every vile and evil thing that was in the past, and is being done now, and through out the ages that our savior died for! He wiped the slate clean with his pure blood. I cannot fathom that kind of love lavished on me can you?
The word free has so many meanings here are just a couple:
Gives, without consideration of a return or reward, generous in giving, lavish
To relieve or rid, given readily, acting without self restraint
In other words- no strings attached freely given and freely received. Wow!! What love Roman’s 8:32 says this-“He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall He not with him also freely give us all things.” Did He say all things, does that mean to the uttermost? I think it does, but so many times along our journey I resort back to the old man and his way of thinking do you? Sometimes I don’t feel free I too often get entangled into the mindset of the old-the one that has not been redeemed, and paid for by the blood of lamb!
Christ said you are a new creature old things have passed away and behold all things become new. It’s a new and living way! New beginnings, new faith, new hope, new peace! Learning how to use the resource of the Holy Spirit in our daily walk to fight off the attacks of the enemy is essential to being free from the many different types of bondage he tries to invoke upon us once we are saved. When Satan can’t have our souls he starts his attack with his arsenal of weapons of lies, because he is the father of all lies. He throws doubt-your not saved you just thought you were! Fear-that terrible things will happen to you or those that you love! He tries anything to make you loose your faith and your peace. Guilt that you have done so bad that he constantly throws it in your face so you cannot live the victorious life Christ has set you free from. Shame so that you will never feel worthy to be used by Christ to further His kingdom. The list goes on and on doesn’t it?
We are in warfare every day so we have to learn how to fight and it is with the weapons of God’s word. We have to “know the truth and the truth will set you free.” During the Bible study “Breaking Free” I came across this scripture and it has been a weapon I have used through the years when struggling with some form of bondage attack- 2nd Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” I have learned through many tough times in my life that if Satan can control my thoughts, my imaginations that before long a stronghold has happened. Beth Moore says that “a stronghold is sometime called a home for thought in our head.” I certainly don’t want those things that I am tempted with to live there do you? So what do we do? We have to surrender it unto the obedience of what Jesus word has said. One of those tools in his word says this -“Submit yourself unto God, resist the devil, and he will flee.” Submit, resist, and he will flee. This is the way of escape Christ has given for every temptation that tries to lure a trap for his children. We have the power of the Holy Spirit to be more than conquers through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Being free is a fact for us who have excepted Christ as savior. Living free is a choice we make to die daily to the flesh. “Not I that live, but Christ in me.” If Christ has set me free then I am free indeed! Free to the uttermost, time with no end!!
My prayer today is that we can live life abundantly through Christ Jesus our Lord………..
Diane Mann
Lean Into Jesus Ministries
#dianemannblogs
