Every Part—–HIS!
LIBERTY.
IT’S MY RIGHT.
I’M A FREE PERSON, DON’T YOU KNOW.
I’M AN ADULT; I CAN DO WHAT I PLEASE.
I AM OLD ENOUGH TO . . .
I’M NOT A CHILD.
I’M NO ONE’S SLAVE.
I ANSWER TO NO ONE & HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO MY OWN THING.
I’M NOT HURTING ANYONE BUT MYSELF.
LIBERTY is something we take so seriously, and we should because we are blessed to be born into and to live within a country devoted to precious freedom.
- BUT WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT MY FREEDOM & YOUR FREEDOM?
- BUT WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT MY LIBERTY?
- BUT WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT YOUR LIBERTY?
“Am I not free? Am I not an apostle?
Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?
Are you not my work in the Lord.”
(1 Corinthians 9: 1)
Our liberty does not give us liberty to do as we wish.
- NO!
- We do not belong just to ourselves.
- We belong to the family of God.
- Our actions. Our words. Our reactions. Our attitudes. Our political stance. Our work ethic.
- Our everything—Belongs to Almighty God. Period!
“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable.
All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.
Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them.
Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.
Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
Shall I then take away members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute?
May it never be!”
(1 Corinthians 6: 12-15)
People surround us, and they should be able to look at us and see evidence of Christ’s presence in our lives.
Meaning—All of us who have placed our faith in Christ Jesus should live as examples of the gospel. Period!
Until Jesus returns. . .for me. . .for you. . .we are not at liberty to live as we please.
We are to live for Jesus.
That means our talents and our abilities are to build up God’s kingdom. Period!
Living the Christian life is not something we live privately; nor is living the Christian life something we do when we enter a religious ceremony. Therefore, the question truly becomes: When do I live for me & When do I live for Christ?
There is NEVER a time, once we belong to God, that we SHOULD EVER live for our own liberty, for our own freedom. Living the gospel means we are to live 100% of Every Single Day in a way that others are drawn to Christ. We are ALWAYS on mission!
That’s not easy. We need God’s help.
Our culture pulls us the other way, toward our own liberties.
Our world says, “If it fills good and we are not hurting anyone else, then do it, enjoy it, eat it, think it, live it. It’s your life, so do as you will to do.”
Truly, that is NOT what the Bible instructs us to do—as a child of God.
Truly, God desires that we draw others toward Him and not drive others away from Him.
Therefore, we who belong to Jesus Christ, are not at liberty to do as we please.
- We have a Master!
- We have a Guardian-Defender!
- We have a Helper & Healer!
- We have a King & Redeemer!
- We have a Rescuer & a Savior!
- He has a name—JESUS!
“And He was saying to them all,
“If anyone wishes to come after Me,
he must deny himself,
and
take up his cross daily
and
follow Me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
But
whoever loses his life for My sake,
he is the one who will save it.”
(Luke 9: 23-24)
So, we pray today, & if we are given a tomorrow, we will pray, & if there are tomorrows after tomorrow—we will continue to pray to our Master.
“Father God, we thank You for our salvation.
We thank You for saving us for eternity.
We thank You for allowing us to be Your witnesses.
We thank You for trusting us with Your message.
We thank You for giving us mouths to speak Your Word to the nations and to the peoples.
We thank You for not requiring that we walk alone, that You gave us Your Spirit inside us so that we do not ever need to walk alone.
We thank You for placing Your precious Holy Spirit inside us so that we can be convicted when we walk unworthy of Your calling upon our lives.
We thank YOU, GOD for our everything.
We thank YOU for YOUR freedom YOU have gifted us to know.
We thank YOU, Jehovah God.
We thank YOU, for JESUS CHRIST, our SAVIOR.
We thank YOU, for sending us Your REDEEMER.
We thank YOU for the shed blood of JESUS CHRIST.
We ask You LORD to help us “live out” our freedom in YOU.
We ask You LORD to help us “live out” our heavenly citizenship.
We ask You LORD to help us “live out” our place as a child of God as we live here on earth.
We ask You LORD to help us remember that we have dual citizenship.
We ask You LORD to help us remember that we belong to YOU.
We ask You LORD to help us to do as Your Word instructs us—“to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”
Father, Help us remember how we have been REBORN because of Your work through Jesus.
Help us remember—our words—our actions—our reactions—our work—all of our allegiance—belongs to ONLY YOU!
Help us remember that we are dependent upon YOU, ALMIGHTY GOD.
Help us walk not in independence but in dependency upon YOUR guidance.
Help us daily study YOUR MOST HOLY WORD so we know how we are to walk within Your will.
Help us daily kneel in prayer, asking You to direct our steps, our words, our thoughts, & our actions while we remain here on earth.
Help us Father God to live as a reflection of YOU.
Help us to do as Your Word reminds us how we are to—“lose his life for My sake,. . .”
And, Father, we will be mindful today to seek Your will as we go, NOT walking within our own liberties BUT stepping, speaking, reacting, eating, drinking—living as a child of the King of Kings.
In Jesus sweet and holy name we ask You, Father God, for this guiding hand upon our lives.
Amen.”
Every Part—YOURS!