Online Devotions: freedom in Christ

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Freedom Without Condemnation

August 23 (Romans 8:1)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (ESV)

I am a driven person. Everything, all the time, and to perfection…that’s how it is with me. As a result, I do not take my failures very well. Even something as simple as forgetting a trivial task leads to swift self-condemnation. Perhaps you know the feeling.

This is, of course, pointless. Jesus Himself offers no condemnation, none. He is there with infinite love and grace to support us whenever we need. We should have been condemned for our sins, but He took the punishment. Our debt has been cleared. Our slate is clean.

Can you imagine the freedom of living in the truth that you do not have to be perfect? How wonderful would it be to realize that when your boss gets angry at you, when friends or family are disappointed in you, even when you want to condemn yourself for some shortcoming, Jesus does none of those. He looks at you and says, “You are forgiven, my friend. Let’s try it again.”

Jesus, help me to lose control of my life. I want to live in the freedom that You offer me. I need help, though. It is so easy to grab the reins and try to direct everything myself. Today I accept the glorious gift of grace without condemnation in You. Amen.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

March 29 (Ephesians 5:1)

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (ESV)

I love the simplicity and straightforwardness of the Christian faith. It is for freedom that Jesus set us free. When you read those words, you may be tempted to say, “Well, duh! What else would freedom be for?”

Strangely, though, many of us who have been set free by Jesus continue to enslave ourselves. Does any of this sound familiar? “I need to keep up a good act. If they ever knew the real me, it would all be over.” “I have to do this and this and this and then I have to go there to do that so I can get back here for that other thing.” “I just have to hope this works out or I am ruined and then I don’t know what I’ll do.”

That does not sound like freedom to me. Unfortunately, it does sound like me. How would your daily thoughts, and therefore your daily actions, be different if you actually lived as if you were free? In other words, how would your life be different if you believed the Bible as you claim to do?

Father, it is a daily choice for me to live in the freedom that Jesus provided or in the slavery of the world and my own thoughts. May the Holy Spirit grant me the strength to choose the freedom bought for me at Calvary. Amen.

Copyright © 2015 by Steven R. Perkins

History of Online Devotions

In January of 1999, I began the Online Devotions with the teens of the church we were attending. Each week they would receive a verse of Scripture, a short reflection, and a prayer. Over the years others subscribed to this email list, and soon the Online Devotions were going out to people across the country and beyond.

In 2007 I published in book format a collection called Desert Days: Forty Devotions for Men.

After suggestions from several readers, I launched in 2010 the Online Devotions blog. Devotions are still available each week by email, and if you would like to subscribe, please indicate so in the comment box.

As I have always said, if one of these devotions touches you, you can be sure it was from God. If one leaves you flat, then there was too much of me in it.