When Living Includes Liberty

PRAY OVER THIS

“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” James 1:21

 

PONDER THIS

You’ve got to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When we get saved, we receive life through the Lord Jesus Christ, but all of us have the graveclothes of the old life. Maybe you are saved, but you hit your thumb with a hammer and those old words come out. Or you’re in a grocery store, and there are some questionable magazines, and your eyes want to go there. And you wonder, “Lord, have I been saved at all?” Yes, if you’ve trusted Jesus, if you have exercised faith in Jesus, then you’re saved. But what you need to do now is initiate freedom in Jesus.

Do you know what the job of the Church is? For one thing, it’s to unwrap the saints. There are a lot of people who need to be unwrapped. There are a lot of people who do not have freedom. I want to tell you about Jesus. The One who gives us life gives us liberty.

If you’re still in the graveclothes, you need to be unwrapped. Jesus is not a probation officer; Jesus is our Savior. He will see you through all the way. You might have some hangover sins for a while. But He will save you; the One who gives you life will give you liberty.

What “graveclothes” are you still wearing?

How have you experienced freedom in Christ?

PRACTICE THIS

Talk to another Christian about the graveclothes you may still be wearing. Ask your friend to pray alongside you as you ask the Lord to free you from those things. 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Character Makes You Free

BIBLE MEDITATION

“For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him, they will ask the more” Luke 12:48

 

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

As Christian citizens, we must abstain from all that’s wrong and approve all that is right. It is character that produces liberty. Don’t let that go past you. It is character that produces liberty. The reason Americans have been free is that they began as people of character.

Responsibility and character are two ways of saying the same thing. Responsibility and character are inseparably linked together with liberty. For example, a little baby has no responsibilities. He doesn’t have to worry about anything. Everybody takes care of him. But he has no liberties. He does what he’s told to do. He eats that pabulum and those strained beets. He is bathed and put to bed. No responsibilities, but no liberties.

As he grows in responsibility, he gets more and more liberty. There comes a time when his father will give him the car keys. But if he takes that car and acts irresponsibly, the father takes the keys and his privilege away. If he acts really irresponsibly, he may wind up in jail and all his liberties are taken away. Liberty is responsibility assumed.

ACTION POINT

A republic is a government for people with character, and only people with character can maintain it. If we lose our character as a nation, we are going to lose our liberty. And always, when there is a loss of character, there’s a growth of government. If you want to remain free, you must be men and women of character, and you must raise young men and women of character.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers