Morning Devotion

Jan 30 2021

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

This verse tells us that if Jesus has freed us, then we really are free. Jesus gets the final word regarding our bondage to sin. Once He sets us free, nothing on Earth (or beyond) has the power to bind us up. Jesus defeated sin for us on the cross; we are able to enjoy the spoils of the battle forevermore.

However, sometimes the greatest enemy against this freedom is found within ourselves. We might hear that we are free from sin but then struggle with temptation. We might intellectually assent to our freedom, but never feel the joy that it is supposed to give us. To live in this freedom is very different from merely acknowledging that we have it.

So how do we live in freedom? There are many practical ways to embrace it in your life. The first is to memorize this Bible verse. As you memorize, pray for the Lord to use it in your heart when you find yourself being defeated by sin. Then, when you are tempted to return to your old ways, you can repeat the verse to yourself, reminding yourself that you have a choice between embracing sin or turning your back on it.

As we make this a habit, the benefits of living in freedom will come. Over time, we will not view sin as something desirable or pleasurable. Instead, we will see it as it really is: an abomination against the Lord. Collaborating with the Lord to grow in our sanctification produces intimacy with Him. As we get to know Him better, the thought of doing something that displeases Him becomes more and more repulsive to us.

Indeed, while we are free from sin, we are not without a master. Jesus is our Lord, and He has set us free from sin—not that we are able to live morally good lives on our own, but instead, that we would embrace His goodness, kindness, and love. In Him, and in Him alone, there is true freedom.

Dear Lord, I thank you so much for freedom. Thank you for your sweet, sweet kindness to me. You're above everything I could ever want, and you are so much better than the sin that sometimes seems to ensnare me. Help me to remember that when I face temptation. I love you, Jesus. In your name, amen.