1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. 3 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: You're listening to daily devotions with Pastor John. I'm John 4 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: Stogey and today's devotion is inspired by Galatians chapter five, 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: verse one, which says, for freedom, Christ has set us free. 6 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: Stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a 7 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: yoke of slavery. Freedom is a beautiful thing. It is 8 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 1: a gift from God. It is a blessing that God 9 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: joyfully bestows on each and every one of his children. 10 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: But it can be a misunderstood blessing by some. In 11 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: certain contexts, people understand freedom to mean the ability to 12 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: do anything they choose, regardless of the consequences. Spiritually speaking, however, 13 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: that's not the nature of the freedom the Lord has 14 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: granted us. Before we came to faith in Jesus Christ, 15 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: we were slaves to sin. We were bound in chains 16 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 1: to unrighteousness. Through Jesus, however, we are set free from 17 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: that slavery. We no longer need to go back to 18 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: living in that kind of bondage. We are free to 19 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: live a life that brings Christ glory and reflects the 20 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 1: genuine nature of our faith in him. Jesus has made 21 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: us free to live in the light of his righteousness. 22 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: We are free to love as He loves, live as 23 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: he has empowered us to live, and choose that which 24 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: would honor Him over that which is dishonorable. His spirit 25 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: strengthens us to stand firm in the midst of a 26 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: sinful world. When we're tempted to rebel against our Lord, 27 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: his word reminds us that we are no longer slaves 28 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: to rebellion. Through Jesus, we are truly free. Let's pray. Lord, 29 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: we thank you for your word, and we thank you 30 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 1: for the privilege that it is to be able to 31 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: look at this portion of scripture from the Book of 32 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 1: Galatians today. And Lord, we're grateful for the fact that 33 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: in you we find true freedom. We know that there 34 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: are many things in this world that promise us freedom, 35 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: but in you we find the real thing. We find 36 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: true freedom, and you show us what freedom really looks like. Lord, 37 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: we're grateful that you've set us free from evil, and 38 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 1: you've set us free to live as men and women 39 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: who have been rescued from the bondage to sin that 40 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 1: we once lived in. And Lord, here in your word, 41 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: you tell us to now stand firm, because we don't 42 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: need to submit again to a yoke of slavery. We're 43 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: no longer in bondage to evil. You've given us new life. 44 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: You've given us real hope, and the liberty that we 45 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: have in you is the freedom to choose the right 46 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 1: thing instead of being governed and dominated by wickedness. Lord, 47 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: we're so grateful that you've done this for us, and 48 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: we're grateful that, in addition to all the other freedoms 49 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: that we can celebrate, on a day like today, we 50 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 1: can look at the freedom that you've supplied and recognize 51 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:23,359 Speaker 1: that it's the ultimate freedom that we need. So thank 52 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: you for the reminder of this freedom from your word today, 53 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: and by your grace, we pray that we would never 54 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: settle for anything less than the liberty we have in you. 55 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: We commit ourselves to you today, and we thank you 56 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: for all these things in Jesus' name. Amen.