SO,
DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE FREE FROM
YOUR BONDAGES?
You
can be! Listen to Christ’s
astounding promise: “If you abide in My
word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you
are truly
My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you
free…
So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you
are
really and
unquestionably free.” (Jn.
8:31, 32, 36 – Amp.)
How
is this possible? Let me share from personal experience here.
Back in my 20’s a godly old man graciously pointed out to me how
offensive my speech was; laced as it was with self-centeredness,
off-color
statements, exaggerations, insensitivity, etc.
I have to tell you, I was grieved when I realized the truth of
his
statement. But try as I may, I could
not break the pattern. So, I
thoroughly studied what the Word of God had to say about speech.
Then I picked out a half a dozen or so key verses or passages
from that
study and determined to prayerfully memorize them over a 6 – 8 week
period.
As I memorized, I prayed fervently that God would plant His Truth
in my
heart and liberate me from my enslavement. To
my utter amazement the grip this vice had on me diminished and died.
I was liberated!
Over
the next several years, I repeated this process in every other area of
bondage
in my life. Today, I can tell you, I
am free! I do not mean that there
are not skirmishes from time to time, but the enslavement
to sin in these areas has been broken.
So,
would you like to be free of fear? Anger?
Defeating sexual issues? Envy?
Gossip, etc? Take Jesus at his word and attack
your bondages with the liberating power of God’s word.
Claim the promises in John 8:31,32, 36 above.
For
starters, here is a sampler of Scriptures in four critical areas:
FEAR:
“…Do not fear, for I am with you; do
not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I
will
uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
(Isa. 41:10) Also: Gen. 15:1;
Deut. 20:1-4; 31:6,7; Josh. 1:7-9; 2 Chron. 20:17; Psa.23:4; 27:1;
46:1,2; Isa.
51:12, 13; 54:14; Rom. 8:31-39; 2 Tim. 1:7; 1 Jn 4:18.
ANGER: "In
your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still
angry…Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander,
along
with every form of malice.” (Eph.
4:26, 31) Also:
Psa. 37:8; Pro. 12:16; 14:17, 29; 15:1, 18; 16:32; 17:14; 19:11,
19;
25:28; 27:3, 4; 29:22; Ecc. 7:9; Matt. 5:22-24; Col. 3:8; Jms.1:19, 20.
LUST: “For
you
have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to
do--living in
debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable
idolatry. They
think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of
dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give
account to
him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”
(I Pet. 4:3-5) Also:
Exo. 20:17; Job 31:1, 9-12; Pro.4:22-27;
6:25-29; Matt. 5:27-30;
Rom.
8:1,2; 1 Cor. 9:24-27; Eph. 2:1-6;
2 Tim. 2:22; Tit. 2:12; Jms 1:12-15.
PRIDE:
"…Let
not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his
strength or
the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about
this: that
he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice
and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.”
(Jer. 9:23, 24) Also: Lev.
26:19, 20; Deut. 8:11-20; 1 Sam. 2:3,4; Psa. 10:2-6; 12:4; 18:27; 31:23;
52:7;
Pro. 6:16, 17; 11:2; 12:9, 15; 13:10; 15:25; 16:5, 18, 19; 18:12; 20:6;
21:4;
25:27; 26:12; 27:2; 29:23; 30:12, 13; Isa. 2:11-17; Matt. 20:24 – 28;
23:6-8;
Mk. 10:43-45; Lk. 1:51; 1 Cor. 3:18; 2 Cor. 10:12, 18; Gal. 6:3; Phil.
2:3-8; 2
Tim. 6:17-19; Jms.. 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:2-4.
A
couple of closing thoughts: The
battlefield is in the mind which must be transformed into a godly
mindset.
Carefully analyze Romans 12:1, 2; 2 Cor. 10:3-5; and Ephesians
4:23,24.
And don’t forget the empowering role of the Holy Spirit in
liberating
us from sin’s bondages. In this
regard, carefully study Romans 8:1-27; John 6:63;
and Galatians 5:16.
