Monday, October 1, 2007

Freedom

Last night, Matt's sermon was about "Good people going to heaven". I wish I had a recording of it, because it was really good. Pick up the book "Am I Good Enough?" by Andy Stanley for the basis of what Matt talked about.

Anyway, I was really challenged last night when one of the students was talking with me about some of her struggles and she quoted scripture by saying, "From the heart the mouth speaks". This really caught my attention. I've been struggling with sin issues in my own life, or rather I haven't wanted to deal with them. I prefer to ignore that they are there and keep on going. However, this student was dead on when she said that our words and life reflect the deepest parts of our heart!

So I picked up my bible this morning (first time in a while) and it flipped to Galatians 5:16-26.
Life by the Spirit

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

How cool is that? Living by the spirit brings us FREEDOM from the sins that seem to have their talons in our heart. The chains that seem to enslave us to our sin are BROKEN because the Spirit has completely opposite characteristics to slavery of sin: JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE...

Living by the Spirit brings us FREEDOM!

1 comment:

  1. Some song by Aretha Franklin just popped into my head...
    "Freedom! (freedom!) Freedom! (freedom!) Freedo-o-om! FREEDOM!"

    ReplyDelete

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