victory Archives - Daily Thoughts about God

“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” 1 Peter 2:16

When you think of “freedom,” what do you think of? Emancipation from slavery? Getting out of jail? Leaving work? Moving out of the house? Freedom is associated with all of those thoughts and more.

Today, many tend to associate freedom to mean “free to do as I please.” This concept applies to all of the categories mentioned above. A slave becomes free from his master’s commands. An ex-con can now do things without being guarded all the time. An employee is now free to relax outside of work. A young adult can abide by his or her own wishes instead of his or her parents’ wishes.

The Bible mentions the word “free” or “freedom” many times throughout the New Testament. But the Bible associates freedom with something else entirely.

Being free in Christ means a different kind of freedom. It is the freedom from being enslaved to sin.

Nonbelievers don’t have the means to be freed from their habitual sins apart from Christ. They hopelessly continue to fight and struggle without any resolution.

We have been redeemed! We are freed from the vicious sin cycle that ensnares nonbelievers. Although we may struggle in this life, our struggle is not in vain. We have eternal freedom.

We don’t have to worry about sin entangling us to the point where we cannot be delivered. We don’t have to live in hopelessness. Yes, we will still sin, but sin doesn’t have us beat. We can conquer whatever sin comes our way through Christ.

Dear Lord, please give me the ability to conquer sin in my life. Give me the strength that I need, which will give me the hope of victory. Amen.

Think about an area in life that may be enslaving you. Have a problem with lying incessantly? Negative attitude? Harsh words? Whatever it may be, honestly ask Christ to help you defeat these sins so you can be free.

By Ashlea Massie
Used by Permission

Do not misunderstand Jesus’ meaning here. Believers don’t lose their salvation when they refuse to forgive. Rather, they break fellowship with God because their unrepentant attitude gets in the way of regular confession and repentance. The Lord cannot ignore sin, and His Spirit will bring wrong behavior to the believer’s attention until he or she deals with it.

Forgiveness is an act of the will more than an act of the heart. Often people don’t feel like being merciful to someone who has wronged them. But a resentful spirit grows into a terrible burden. The Lord knows that forgiveness is best, even when it is difficult.

You won’t deal with a sin until you see it as God does. So assume full responsibility for your unforgiving attitude, and acknowledge that it is a violation of His Word. Claim the divine mercy He offers, and ask Him to enable you to lay aside anger and resentment against the other person(s). As part of the decision to move forward in grace, make a habit of praying for those who hurt you. And if God so leads, seek their forgiveness for your wrong attitude.

A bitter and resentful spirit doesn’t fit who we are in Christ. Nor is it healthy to carry an angry attitude through life. That’s why Scripture emphasizes the need to forgive. Choose to be liberated from your burden–Jesus promised to make us free when we release our sins to Him (John 8:36).

By Dr. Charles Stanley
Used by permission
http://www.intouch.org/

Something Else Entirely

FURTHER READING

Victory over Unforgiveness

Forgiveness is an act of the will more than an act of the heart.

Further Reading

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Something Else Entirely

FURTHER READING

Victory over Unforgiveness

Forgiveness is an act of the will more than an act of the heart.

Further Reading