Freedom

-

 


Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (ESV)

16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Devotion:

            In this passage of scripture, we consider the freedom we who believe in Christ as Lord and Savior can experience. Under the old covenant, even the Jewish people could not experience the freedom of looking directly at the glory of God. A veil was erected in the temple to keep the people from seeing the most holy place. This veil remains over the minds of unbelievers to this day. The physical temple may no longer be standing, but spiritual blindness remains where Christ is not present.

            Paul is explaining this truth to the church at Corinth. He encourages the believers to experience for themselves the freedom of the Lord. Paul encourages us to meditate on the cross and empty tomb and ponder the great gifts we have been given. We are encouraged to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that we may be able to begin to comprehend these great mysteries. We are given through this Spirit great freedom to come and worship Jesus, who was made known to us through these great signs and wonders.

            We should rejoice in that freedom. Just as many countries around the world place limits on the rights of their people to practice their religion, we in this country (still) have great freedom to follow our convictions and worship as we please. Every age has its troubles, and our age is no different. We, however, can thank God that we have freedom in Christ to worship Him in all His glory. Each of us is given a different gift by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to build up the church. Let us pray that we will be found faithful in exercising those gifts.

Prayer:

            Heavenly Father, we thank you for loving us so much. You gave your Son to us so we might experience freedom in Him. We, as your children, are given great freedom in you. Lord, help us to use that freedom to encourage one another in the faith. May we have compassion and mercy on those whose minds are still blinded to our great freedom in Christ. May we work with passion and energy to advance the cause of Christ wherever and whenever we can. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming the Unwelcome

-
  Scripture: Luke 7:36-38 (NIV) 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Devotion:             First of all, some warnings to my readers. This post will exceed the 500 words I try to limit my posts. Second, this post will contain content people may find offensive or otherwise unfit for print. Please understand that my purpose is neither to offend nor upset but to provoke thought and, hopefully, respectful dialog.             We will use Luke chapter seven as an aid to interpreting the events that occurred last Thursday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. On that da
Read more

Transgenderism letter

-
  This is a copy of my letter to my senators, representative, and President Biden. January 15, 2024 Dear President Biden, Senators T. Duckworth, R. Durbin, and Representative D. LaHood             I am writing to you because I am concerned about the situation affecting our children and grandchildren, namely transitioning them from one gender to another. This nation must adjust course concerning these “interventions” because they are dangerous, irreversible, and life-changing. Our country should not be permitting these procedures on minor children under any circumstances. We must also make sure that adults who seek this care are given informed consent as to the risks versus benefits of sex reassignment treatments.             There are many drawbacks to gender-affirming care for minors. Besides the loss of any ability to give or receive sexual pleasure and sterility these treatments cause, there are social and psychological effects that we have no way of identifying because these
Read more

The Hatred of the World

-
Scripture: John 15:18-20 (ESV) 18  “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20  Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. Devotion:             This scripture is compelling. It explains what happened to Jesus and His disciples some 2,000 years ago. The message of God is rarely welcome news for the world. It calls out many of the culture's favorite practices for what they are: sin. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, humankind has been adamant about trying to hide or excuse their sin. Sin causes a barrier between humans and God that humanity cannot overcome in its own power.             Things have not changed in the
Read more