Spies of Our Liberty

Galatians 2:4

Liberty in the finished work of Jesus Christ is a beautiful thing, but it does not come easy for most of us. We are pre-programmed to work for everything and to do penance through the way that we live. Pure liberty, given freely by Christ’s finished work often seems too good to be true.
Paul exhorted the Galatians to “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). He knows that most of the battle is found in simply trying to stand in liberty and that the alternative is to be entangled “again”. Why does the Apostle use the phrase “again”? We were in bondage to the performance of the law before we came to Christ, but His perfect sacrifice has made us free from that entanglement.

Each Christian is actually called into liberty. Their conversion calls them out of the bondage of works based religion and into the glorious light of Christ’s freedom. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). This call is for us to live free, but not to use our freedom to indulge our flesh. There is a pre-programmed inclination towards sin in all of humanity, even those who are saved. Our liberty gives us no laws or restrictions (1 Corinthians 6:12), but we know that using that liberty wrongly can cause a brother to stumble or fall or even cause us to come beneath sins power.

In the ministry of the Apostle Paul, some came to join him in the work that knew the right words to say, and how to act to make those around them think that they were a true believer. These joined up with Paul so that they could observe him living in his “liberty” and then use those things against him to bring him into condemnation. Jews were not to eat certain foods under the law, nor were they to do anything on the Sabbath day. Paul was free from the law through Jesus so he ate what he wanted and did whatever he desired on the Jewish Sabbath day. These actions were used against him to try and discredit his ministry.

People will use your liberty against you for a number of reasons. Some will do so to try and make themselves feel righteous. If they can accuse you of something, then it makes all of their good deeds feel so much better. Another reason is to bring you under condemnation. This trick is used frequently of the enemy as he tries to make saints feel guilty for enjoying life and having a good time. The church often jumps in on this too, trying to suppress any entertainment or leisure activity. Soon, the saint begins to feel bad for any and all activity that is not wrapped up in the church and they go back under the bondage of law.

As a believer, use your liberty to promote the wonderful love of Jesus Christ and His finished work. Live free in Christ. Laugh a lot, live life to the fullest and never feel that joy is a crime. Many have been turned away from the modern version of Christianity because the ‘saints’ seem miserable. Oftentimes they are the rudest, angriest and most unhappy people that you will ever want to meet. Stand fast in your liberty today and change the perception that the world has about what it means to be a child of the King.

How Do You See Yourself?

Numbers 13:26-33

The twelve spies that reported back to Moses regarding the land of Canaan gave a mixed report. All twelve were awed by the fruits of the land (verse 23) and by the milk and honey (verse 27), but ten of the spies felt that the inhabitants of the land were far too strong, and the walls, much too fortified for Israel to take it.

Based upon what they could see, their fears were certainly justified. Inhabiting the land were giants, and their size and strength intimidated the spies into changing the way they viewed their own selves. With giants in their sights, they saw themselves as “grasshoppers” and this attitude caused the giants to view them that way as well (verse 33).

You may view yourself as hopeless and helpless in the face of the giants of life. If that be the case, then you should know that your enemy will exploit this area of your thinking and keep you from hope, strength, and goodness and will perpetuate defeat on a daily basis. The reason for this is that in those moments, we have taken our eyes off of the provision of Christ and put them on our own ability to do the right thing. What Jesus did at the cross was for us! This work was a finished work and His great love for us has made us “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37). We are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10), and we have been made “the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). If this is who we are in Christ, then why would we view ourselves as anything less?

The ten spies that doubted spoke their own fate into existence, “Would God we had died in this wilderness!” and so they do (Numbers 14:2). How sad that they had forgotten of God’s remarkable power to deliver in the face of overwhelming odds. We are often not much different; forgetting where we came from when Jesus saved us to where we are now. Though life gets rough, we should be careful about speaking our defeat when our victory was paid for at such a high cost.

Caleb and Joshua view the giants of the land as “bread for us” (14:9), having learned that God was able to deliver the largest of foes into the hands of Israel. We are either bread for our enemy or they are bread for us. Each believer must decide and then live accordingly.

Make your own decision today, to face the often overwhelming cares of this life in light of the finished work of the cross. You can both dwell on the size of the giants and begin to fear, or think of the size of the grapes and begin to rejoice! Be the grasshopper that can’t win or the warrior that cannot lose, and not due to your strength, but because of your Savior. This world can be “bread for us” (Numbers 14:9)

Spies of Our Liberty

Galatians 2:4

Liberty in the finished work of Jesus Christ is a beautiful thing, but it does not come easy for most of us. We are pre-programmed to work for everything and to do penance through the way that we live. Pure liberty, given freely by Christ’s finished work often seems too good to be true.
Paul exhorted the Galatians to “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). He knows that most of the battle is found in simply trying to stand in liberty and that the alternative is to be entangled “again”. Why does the Apostle use the phrase “again”? We were in bondage to the performance of the law before we came to Christ, but His perfect sacrifice has made us free from that entanglement.

Each Christian is actually called into liberty. Their conversion calls them out of the bondage of works based religion and into the glorious light of Christ’s freedom. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). This call is for us to live free, but not to use our freedom to indulge our flesh. There is a pre-programmed inclination towards sin in all of humanity, even those who are saved. Our liberty gives us no laws or restrictions (1 Corinthians 6:12), but we know that using that liberty wrongly can cause a brother to stumble or fall or even cause us to come beneath sins power.

In the ministry of the Apostle Paul, some came to join him in the work that knew the right words to say, and how to act to make those around them think that they were a true believer. These joined up with Paul so that they could observe him living in his “liberty” and then use those things against him to bring him into condemnation. Jews were not to eat certain foods under the law, nor were they to do anything on the Sabbath day. Paul was free from the law through Jesus so he ate what he wanted and did whatever he desired on the Jewish Sabbath day. These actions were used against him to try and discredit his ministry.

People will use your liberty against you for a number of reasons. Some will do so to try and make themselves feel righteous. If they can accuse you of something, then it makes all of their good deeds feel so much better. Another reason is to bring you under condemnation. This trick is used frequently of the enemy as he tries to make saints feel guilty for enjoying life and having a good time. The church often jumps in on this too, trying to suppress any entertainment or leisure activity. Soon, the saint begins to feel bad for any and all activity that is not wrapped up in the church and they go back under the bondage of law.

As a believer, use your liberty to promote the wonderful love of Jesus Christ and His finished work. Live free in Christ. Laugh a lot, live life to the fullest and never feel that joy is a crime. Many have been turned away from the modern version of Christianity because the ‘saints’ seem miserable. Oftentimes they are the rudest, angriest and most unhappy people that you will ever want to meet. Stand fast in your liberty today and change the perception that the world has about what it means to be a child of the King.

Hanging the Scarlet Thread

Joshua 2:1-24

The story of the conquest of Jericho would be incomplete without the salvation of Rahab the harlot. She lived on the town wall, strategically located to bring success in her line of work. It also provided a great stopping point for the spies that were sent in to access the strength of Jericho. We know how the story ends, with Rahab hanging a scarlet thread out of her window, and the army of Israel sparing her and her family. What we may have missed is that this woman was saved long before the thread was hung in the window.

Hebrews chapter 11 lists Rahab in the New Testament’s “Hall of Fame of Faith”: “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace” (Hebrews 11:31). Did you notice when she “perished not”? It was not when she obediently put the scarlet line in the window (in fact this passage doesn’t even mention that action), but rather “when she had received the spies with peace”. Her placement of the scarlet thread was to save her physical life, and it was a testimony to all who would see that she had placed her faith in the army of God.

Rahab displayed her faith before the spies had even laid down on her roof, to hide from their pursuers: “I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you…as soon as we heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath” (Joshua 2:9, 12).

What a profession of faith she had! Her actions afterward were the sign of an inward change (James 2:25). It was her initial faith that brought the spies to stop in her house, as they could have stopped anywhere, but the Holy Spirit had found a household of faith. Notice how our Father’s provision covers everyone. The spies found safe shelter and the harlot found a new life and a new hope.

After her rescue from Jericho, we do not know what she does from day-to-day within the camp of the Israelites, but she obviously adopts their ways and becomes a part of their society, because we do see her again, this time as one of only 4 women listed in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5). She becomes the matriarchal head of the line that produces Boaz, King David and eventually, the Lord Jesus.

No matter what has happened to define you, remember that every moment is another chance to change it all. You may have ruined many things and burned many bridges, but God is not looking for scarlet lines of obedience, just open hearts of faith. Don’t get me wrong, the obedience will come, but let us walk in the faith of Jesus Christ first, and all of us can change from who we are and become known by who we become.

May the inward faith that you have shown in Christ and His finished work result in a scarlet thread hung for all to see in your job, your school, your church and your family.

How Do You See Yourself?

Numbers 13:26-33

The twelve spies that reported back to Moses regarding the land of Canaan gave a mixed report. All twelve were awed by the fruits of the land (verse 23) and by the milk and honey (verse 27), but ten of the spies felt that the inhabitants of the land were far too strong, and the walls, much too fortified for Israel to take it.

Based upon what they could see, their fears were certainly justified. Inhabiting the land were giants, and their size and strength intimidated the spies into changing the way they viewed their own selves. With giants in their sights, they saw themselves as “grasshoppers” and this attitude caused the giants to view them that way as well (verse 33).

You may view yourself as hopeless and helpless in the face of the giants of life. If that be the case, then you should know that your enemy will exploit this area of your thinking and keep you from hope, strength, and goodness and will perpetuate defeat on a daily basis. The reason for this is that in those moments, we have taken our eyes off of the provision of Christ and put them on our own ability to do the right thing. What Jesus did at the cross was for us! This work was a finished work and His great love for us has made us “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37). We are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10), and we have been made “the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). If this is who we are in Christ, then why would we view ourselves as anything less?

The ten spies that doubted spoke their own fate into existence, “Would God we had died in this wilderness!” and so they do (Numbers 14:2). How sad that they had forgotten of God’s remarkable power to deliver in the face of overwhelming odds. We are often not much different; forgetting where we came from when Jesus saved us to where we are now. Though life gets rough, we should be careful about speaking our defeat when our victory was paid for at such a high cost.

Caleb and Joshua view the giants of the land as “bread for us” (14:9), having learned that God was able to deliver the largest of foes into the hands of Israel. We are either bread for our enemy or they are bread for us. Each believer must decide and then live accordingly.

Make your own decision today, to face the often overwhelming cares of this life in light of the finished work of the cross. You can both dwell on the size of the giants and begin to fear, or think of the size of the grapes and begin to rejoice! Be the grasshopper that can’t win or the warrior that cannot lose, and not due to your strength, but because of your Savior. This world can be “bread for us” (Numbers 14:9)

Spies of Our Liberty

Galatians 2:4

Liberty in the finished work of Jesus Christ is a beautiful thing, but it does not come easy for most of us. We are preprogrammed to work for everything and to do penance through the way that we live. Pure liberty, given freely by Christ’s finished work often seems too good to be true.
Paul exhorted the Galatians to “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). He knows that most of the battle is just trying to stand in liberty and that the alternative is to be entangled “again”. Why does the Apostle use the phrase “again”? We were in bondage to the performance of the law before we came to Christ, but His perfect sacrifice has made us free from that entanglement.

Each Christian is actually called into liberty. Their conversion calls them out of the bondage of works based religion and into the glorious light of Christ’s freedom. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). This call is for us to live free, but not to use our freedom to indulge our flesh. There is a preprogrammed inclination towards sin in all of humanity, even those who are saved. Our liberty gives us no laws or restrictions (1 Corinthians 6:12), but we know that using that liberty wrongly can cause a brother to stumble or fall.

In the ministry of the Apostle Paul, some came to join him in the work that knew the right words to say, and how to act to make those around them think that they were a true believer. These joined up with Paul so that they could observe him living in his “liberty” and then use those things against him to bring him into condemnation. Jews were not to eat certain foods under the law, nor were they to do anything on the Sabbath day. Paul was free from the law through Jesus so he ate what he wanted and did whatever he desired on the Jewish Sabbath day. These actions were used against him to try and discredit his ministry.

People will use your liberty against you for a number of reasons. Some will do so to try and make themselves feel righteous. If they can accuse you of something, then it makes all of their good deeds feel so much better. Another reason is to bring you under condemnation. This trick is used frequently of the enemy as he tries to make saints feel guilty for enjoying life and having a good time. The church often jumps in on this too, trying to suppress any entertainment or leisure activity. Soon, the saint begins to feel bad for any and all activity that is not wrapped up in the church and they go back under the bondage of law.

As a believer, use your liberty to promote the wonderful love of Jesus Christ and His finished work. Live free in Christ. Laugh a lot, live life to the fullest and never feel that joy is a crime. Many have been turned away from the modern version of Christianity because the ‘saints’ seem miserable. Oftentimes they are the rudest, angriest and most unhappy people that you will ever want to meet. Stand fast in your liberty today and change the perception that the world has about what it means to be a child of the King.

How Do You See Yourself?

Numbers 13:26-33

The twelve spies that reported back to Moses regarding the land of Canaan gave a mixed report. All twelve were awed by the fruits of the land (verse 23) and by the milk and honey (verse 27), but ten of the spies felt that the inhabitants of the land were far too strong, and the walls, much too fortified for Israel to take the land.

Based upon what they could see, their fears were certainly justified. Inhabiting the land were giants, and their size and strength intimidated the spies into changing the way they viewed their own selves. With giants in their sights, they saw themselves as “grasshoppers” and this attitude caused the giants to view them that way as well (verse 33).

You may view yourself as hopeless and helpless in the face of the giants of life. If that be the case, then you should know that your enemy will exploit this area of your thinking and keep you from hope, strength, goodness and will perpetuate defeat on a daily basis. The reason for this is that in those moments, we take our eyes off of the provision of Christ and put them on our own ability to do the right thing. What Jesus did at the cross was for us! This work was a finished work and His great love for us has made us “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37). We are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10), and we have been made “the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). If this is who we are in Christ, then why would we view ourselves as anything less?

Make a decision today, to face the often overwhelming cares of this life in light of the finished work of the cross. You can either dwell on the size of the giants and begin to fear, or think of the size of the grapes and begin to rejoice! Be the grasshopper that can’t win or the warrior that cannot lose, and not because of your strength, but because of your Savior. This world can be “bread for us” (Numbers 14:9)