Wednesday: Free From Sin
Without Christ, we were slaves of sin, slaves to the evil impulses of our fallen human nature. We lived in a self-centered way, pleasing ourselves instead of living to the glory of God. The unavoidable result of this spiritual slavery was death, because the wages of sin is death.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
But Jesus came to proclaim liberty to the captives . . . , to set at liberty those who are oppressed (Luke 4:18, NKJV). These aren’t literal captives but spiritual prisoners of Satan (see Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:1-2). Jesus did not release John the Baptist from Herod’s prison, but He did release those who were bound by the chains of sinful lives and delivered them from the heavy burden of guilt and eternal condemnation.
What great promise is found in the following verses? See John 8:34-36.
The use of the word indeed in verse 36 shows that there is also a false kind of freedom, a pseudo-freedom that actually shackles human beings to further disobedience to God. Jesus’ hearers trusted in their ancestry of Abraham as their hope for freedom. We run the same risk. The enemy wants us to rely upon anything-for instance, our doctrinal knowledge, our personal godliness, or our record of service for God-anything except Christ for our salvation. But none of these, however important they may be, has the power to free us from sin and its condemnation. The only true Liberator is the Son, who was never enslaved by sin.
Jesus delighted in forgiving sins. When four men brought a paralyzed man to Him, He knew that this man was sick as a result of his dissolute living, but He also knew that the man had repented. In the pleading eyes of this man, the Lord saw the longing of his heart for forgiveness and his faith in Jesus as his only Helper. Tenderly, Jesus said to him: Son, your sins are forgiven you (Mark 2:5, NKJV). Those were the sweetest words this man ever heard. The load of despair disappeared from his mind, and the peace of forgiveness filled his spirit. In Christ he found spiritual and physical healing.
At a Pharisee’s house, a sinful woman washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and anointed them with perfume (Luke 7:37-38). Perceiving the Pharisee’s disapproval, Jesus explained to him that her sins, which are many, are forgiven (Luke 7:47, NKJV). Then He said to her: Your sins are forgiven (Luke 7:48, NKJV).
Your sins are forgiven.
Why are these the best words any of us will ever hear?
(22)
I don't want to judge the paralytic man. Looking at the big picture, he could have been involved in self-destructive behaviors which led to his paralysis. just imagine the health burdens that he suffered from due to his immobility - bed sores, frequent urinary tract infection, constipation, pain and depression,stress, poverty, etc. When forgiven, he celebrated a new life of independence. When we accept God's freedom from sin and walk in the newness of life, we are NEW CREATURES (spiritually, physically, mentally, and socially). When I chose to terminate the sin of malice and unforgiveness, oh what peace and tranquility flooded my mind and deleted the lingering anxiety!! Could it be that many of our physical maladies are correlated with our unrepentant sins??
The only thing that separates us from God is sin. And from how we were conceieved to our actions and thoughts we are full of sin. Even our acts of righteousness is as sinful as filthy rags. Knowing that no matter what we do on our own we cannot cleanse our sins. Only Jesus has the power to forgive and cleanse us makes it heart warming when I hear from the master that my sins have been forgiven. And may the holy spirit of God continue to renew my life daily with the righteousness of Jesus that's beyong human comprehension. Amen
Truly no One else we have to look for our salvation only to Jesus who is the unique Savior. That's why we should not only glorify him but also repent.
Free indeed: Free for real, Free for sure.
I regard this as the sweetness of salvation.
I like to think of the shackles and sin as separation from our Creator. Selfishness holds us away from our source of life. We can only be really free when we are connected by the Holy Spirit to the Creator of life. His Word is the producer and sustainer of all life. Why would anyone want to be separated from the source of their life if they only knew?
It is natural for us to be motivated by selfishness in this probational time. We have to choose life if we will receive it. By choosing the Holy Spirit for our basic motivation we can be connected back to life eternal as it was designed in the beginning.
We never know how much heavy the garbage of sin is to our souls till we lay it at Jesus' feet. That is when we shall experience true deliverance
They are the words of life and freedom from the lips of our Creator/Savior!
We take God's love, Grace and mercy for granted. The father,son and the Holy Ghost. Has done and is now doing every thing to save us. Who would not serve a God like this. He seeks and saves. He forgives, He has sent us His spirit to be with us and in us, He convicts us of sin, righteousness and judgement. He gives us life abundantly and sets us free. I see why Ellen white says we should take a thoughtful hour to reflect on what Jesus has done for us. By be holding him we are changed.
We take God's love, Grace and mercy for granted. The father,son and the Holy Ghost. Has done and is now doing every thing to save us. Who would not serve a God like this. He seeks and saves. He forgives, He has sent us His spirit to be with us and in us, He convicts us of sin, righteousness and judgement. He gives us life abundantly and sets us free.