Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
The whole reason for Christ to go the Cross was for our benefit. To give us freedom from the wages of sin (that is, death) by our faith in Him. The cost of that freedom was His very life.
I’m amazed at how often people diminish the slavery common to all mankind. It’s the bondage to sin with a solution that can be summarized as “Repent or Wrath.” That choice belongs to every man and woman…individually. Either Christ received your wrath due IN YOUR PLACE or it’s a DIY program and you experience it yourself…in hell. Ought to be such a no-brainer!
Even freedom itself is underrated by those taking it for granted. In people’s ignorance, they don’t seem to grasp that freedom, once surrendered, results only in bondage. Many of them, having only grown up in a free society, do not appreciate what true slavery, bondage, subjugation, oppression, and persecution look like. There are freedom-seekers in this world who can talk from experience about oppression and persecution.
In today’s excerpt from O Holy Night, the Christmas column by John Kass, the introduction of freedom as a principle is no accident. It’s foundational, not only to nations like America, but to the very existence of Christianity as a faith of invitation, not compulsion like other religions. Kass writes,
“For the American republic, the last, best hope of liberty on earth. And for the American people, who never, ever quit.
We are Americans. And Americans find a way.”
Even in our corrupted state, America is still a nation built upon limits placed on government, not a government placing limits on its people. Government is limited to keep our freedom of religious expression.
Likewise, there’s a pattern initiated by God Himself. He allows a beautiful individual freedom rooted in love which allows people to choose Him though He could be like other gods and force adherence through threats of death.
Prayer Focus. Thank You, God, that You give people opportunity after opportunity to see the beauty of freedom contrasted with the hideous coercion of other religions and governments. America was founded on such freedom. We thank You for this pattern and this gift to worship You and in Christ, to be freed from eternal consequences of our own sin.
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You can find these “Κύριε, ἐλέησον, ‘Lord, have mercy” devotionals here or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter!
Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:
Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014.
Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations. We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17.
ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ. It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.
Revelation in 40 devotionals for 2022 offered 40 vignettes, scenes, concepts, and thoughts to inspire us to read the Book of Revelation as it is written and to go deeper. They are archived beginning March 2, 2022.
“Created to Display His Image” explored what it truly means to be made in God’s Image and the profound significance of that fact. They are archived beginning February 22, 2023.
“Seeing His Love with New Eyes” was the topic for 2024 and it explored looking at God’s love beyond the superficial and trite notions of love. They are archived beginning February 14, 2024.
“The Way it Had to Be” explored the conversation in Luke 24 by the men on the Road to Emmaus as they walked with Jesus. They discovered their assumption “This is not how it was supposed to be” was precisely what had to happen and had been predicted throughout the Old Testament and fulfilled in Jesus’ ministry. These devotionals are archived beginning March 5, 2025.