Let’s talk about the Christian’s freedom for a minute. When we choose Jesus as Lord, the Word says we have received “adoption as sons,” “redeemed under the law,” “no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, than an heir” (Gal 4:5,7). We identify new with the family of God and identify ourselves as His children. This morning as I read through 2 Corinthians 3, I stumbled on a favorite cultural verse: “…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (v 17) What exactly does that mean? Freedom IN what or FROM what? In this specific context, Paul was referring to freedom from the guilt and shame tied to the Law (aka old covenant). When Christ came, he fulfilled the law (Matt 5:17) of the Jews by providing a “once for all” sanctification (Heb 10:10) from the shame and guilt of sin through his death and resurrection. After Christ ascended, new Christ followers were having difficulty changing their lifestyle from an almost anal attentiveness to the Old Covenant Law to sharing this “go
This has been one of those I’d-like-to-rewrite-Ecclesiastes, i.e., everything-is-chasing-after-the-wind weeks. As soon as I make another sacrifice in my diet, a new problem with my body seems to arise. I spend extra money, time, effort, and self-control to be disciplined with my diet and there are moments when it does not seem to show great results. I know that God is using it to teach me, and I know that the process of healing takes time… however. This week I am an impatient, rain-on-the-rooftop nagging, complaining and envying, grouchy, frumpy girl who has chosen not to hope in the joy of salvation of God and His provident plan. “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured