The Laws of Bondage and Freedom

Posted on November 6, 2015 by America's Keswick in Freedom Fighters

THE LAWS OF BONDAGE AND FREEDOM

Galatians 5:22-26; 2 John 4-6; 2 Corinthians 5:14–21; 1 Thessalonians 2:7b,8 

 The fruit of the Spirit is love. Joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are all the pulp of the one love fruit. I can’t select part of the fruit I must eat it all. If I don’t allow the Spirit of love to flow through me in all its aspects I remain in bondage.

Bondage and Freedom

The law of Moses is good. It points out my sin but can’t free me from my sin.  In that sense, it leaves me bound to my sin. It is the law of bondage. It is external; it does not transform me from the inside out. For instance, the law demands love but does not enable me to do it (Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:5). On my own, I am inadequate to truly love in a God-like way.

Jesus shed his own blood for me, showing me what love was like, and He opened the only way of forgiveness when I received his love gift for my sin. He also replaced the external law with the law of freedom (the law of love) which is now written on my heart and enabled to be fulfilled by the power of The Holy Spirit indwelling me (Hebrews 8:10-13; James 1:25; Galatians 5:18, 25; 1 Corinthians 6:19). Remember believing Jews and Gentiles are grafted together into the one root (Christ) becoming the Israel of God and are no longer under the bondage of sin (Romans 9-11; Galatians 6:16).

When I don’t seek God’s leading then I hinder the Holy Spirit from revealing the Fruit of Love to others. I become like the Israelites when they made a treaty with the Gibeonites. They “did not seek the Lord’s counsel” (Joshua 9:14). The first thing each day I must remember, I can do nothing without God’s direction (John 15:4,5). I am not my own; God calls the shots.

Who is calling the shots in your life? Will you join me in yielding to the Holy Spirit so the fruit of the Spirit can flow through you today?

Today’s Affirmation: I will shed myself direction by seeking the Lord’s counsel, freeing the Spirit of love to flow through me.  Pastor Bob Wood is a disciple of men and loves to share Christ with people. Email him at Dsprayer@aol.com

Daily Bible Reading: Ruth 1-4; Acts 13:1-25

Think About This: Mark Altrogge: “As we make gratitude a habit by practicing it over and over, it becomes part of us. Natural. As natural as complaining. And eventually thankfulness will drive out that demon of grumbling and we’ll experience more and more consistent joy.”

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: The Lord is good to those who wait [confidently] for Him, to those who seek Him [on the authority of God’s word]. Lamentations 3:20 (Amplified Bible)

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