Free Because of His Choice

John 4:4

This is the day that Americans celebrate their Independence as a nation. Over two centuries ago, our forefathers raised arms to fight for the right to govern themselves, and to determine their own fates and destinies. Subsequent generations have given life and limb to preserve that freedom which was won and which has been sustained through much bloodshed. Thank God today for your personal freedom, and for those who paid a great price to make it free.

Jesus paid for our redemption on the cross of Calvary some 2000 years ago. Just as many troops have voluntarily laid down their lives for our freedom as a nation, Jesus voluntarily laid His life down so that we could go free from the shackles of sin. Jesus had over 12 legions of angels (72,000+) at His disposal if He changed His mind about dying at Calvary (Matthew 26:53), but He went anyhow, because as the old gospel song says, “When He was on the cross, I was on His mind”.

Doing for others because He was prompted by the Spirit was not a new thing for Jesus. He told us, “I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things” (John 8:28). His entire life was one of hearing the will of God and then acting accordingly. It was God’s will that Jesus live a sinless life and then give that life for humanity. God poured His wrath on His Son because He did not want to pour it on us.

In the time of the Bible, when a Jew wished to journey from Judea in the south of Palestine, to Galilee in the north of Palestine, they would cross the Jordan river and head north through Decapolis. This was not the shortest route from Point A to Point B, for this cost them an extra day of travel. The quickest route was directly north through Samaria, without the mundane practice of crossing the Jordan and then crossing back over into Galilee. The Jew went through this routine simply to avoid having to step foot in Samaria, such was their hatred for Samaritans. Samaritans were a breed of people whose ancestors were half Jew and half Gentile, thus Jews felt that they were an inferior race, and one unworthy of even the footprint of a good Jew.

John 4:3 tells us that Jesus left Judea, and departed again into Galilee, “And he must needs go through Samaria” (John 4:4). The Holy Spirit specifically mentions where Jesus is coming from and where He is going through and that He goes through Samaria by design of the Spirit. It is just like our Savior to ignore the trend of the day and go directly through Samaria. He was never afraid to get His hands dirty, and He felt no less love for Samaritans than He did for anyone else.

The reason for His journey into Samaria is the little woman at the well, who is only at the well at noon because her reputation has sent her into social isolation. The Spirit knows where you are and why you are there and He perfectly orchestrates Jesus to enter your Samaria on purpose. Thank God that Jesus went to the cross, though it would have made more sense for Him to “cross the Jordan” to avoid the issue. We can’t be worth the price that He paid to save our souls, can we?

We are free today through the blood of Jesus Christ and it was His choice to lay down His life. As you are grateful for physical freedom today, say a “thank you” to your Heavenly Father, that He whom the Son sets free, is free indeed.

Free Because of His Choice

John 4:4

This is the day that Americans celebrate their Independence as a nation. Over two centuries ago, our forefathers raised arms to fight for the right to govern themselves, and to determine their own fates and destinies. Subsequent generations have given life and limb to preserve that freedom which was won and which has been sustained through much bloodshed. Thank God today for your personal freedom, and for those who paid a great price to make it free.

Jesus paid for our redemption on the cross of Calvary some 2000 years ago. Just as many troops have voluntarily laid down their lives for our freedom as a nation, Jesus voluntarily laid His life down so that we could go free from the shackles of sin. Jesus had over 12 legions of angels (72,000+) at His disposal if He changed His mind about dying at Calvary (Matthew 26:53), but He went anyhow, because as the old gospel song says, “When He was on the cross, I was on His mind”.

Doing for others because He was prompted by the Spirit was not a new thing for Jesus. He told us, “I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things” (John 8:28). His entire life was one of hearing the will of God and then acting accordingly. It was God’s will that Jesus live a sinless life and then give that life for humanity. God poured His wrath on His Son because He did not want to pour it on us.

In the time of the Bible, when a Jew wished to journey from Judea in the south of Palestine, to Galilee in the north of Palestine, they would cross the Jordan river and head north through Decapolis. This was not the shortest route from Point A to Point B, for this cost them an extra day of travel. The quickest route was directly north through Samaria, without the mundane practice of crossing the Jordan and then crossing back over into Galilee. The Jew went through this routine simply to avoid having to step foot in Samaria, such was their hatred for Samaritans. Samaritans were a breed of people whose ancestors were half Jew and half Gentile, thus Jews felt that they were an inferior race, and one unworthy of even the footprint of a good Jew.

John 4:3 tells us that Jesus left Judea, and departed again into Galilee, “And he must needs go through Samaria” (John 4:4). The Holy Spirit specifically mentions where Jesus is coming from and where He is going through and that He goes through Samaria by design of the Spirit. It is just like our Savior to ignore the trend of the day and go directly through Samaria. He was never afraid to get His hands dirty, and He felt no less love for Samaritans than He did for anyone else.

The reason for His journey into Samaria is the little woman at the well, who is only at the well at noon because her reputation has sent her into social isolation. The Spirit knows where you are and why you are there and He perfectly orchestrates Jesus to enter your Samaria on purpose. Thank God that Jesus went to the cross, though it would have made more sense for Him to “cross the Jordan” to avoid the issue. We can’t be worth the price that He paid to save our souls, can we?

We are free today through the blood of Jesus Christ and it was His choice to lay down His life. As you are grateful for physical freedom today, say a “thank you” to your Heavenly Father, that He whom the Son sets free, is free indeed.

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.