RISE
Day Thirty-nine – Today is day thirty nine. Today I want to encourage you to think about the freedom of transformation. Now most of what we could call spiritual freedom is related to a genuine understanding of God’s word and our willingness to commit it to memory, study it and meditate upon it. In short, there is freedom in understanding the truth of God’s word. There is, of course, also the freedom from immaturity and sin.
When God’s people were released from bondage in Egypt and began their journey it was more than just a long walk to a new land. It too was a transformation process, the first step of which was freedom from bondage. You will notice, however, that it did not take them very long after acquiring their freedom to desire to return to bondage. Now, to us that would seem odd. It doesn’t make any sense. Why would they? How could they?
While it is true that truth brings freedom, that does not mean we will be comfortable in that skin at first. Freedom in truth means that much of my past may conflict with what I now know to be true. Furthermore, despite knowing the truth, it is often more comfortable and easier to continue with past habits or practices. After all, it is what we know and what we have done for so long. Certainly we want God’s blessing and truth, but when that means I have to let go of falsehood and poor behaviors then freedom might seem a burden. Thus, God’s people continually complained and desired to go back to Egypt even after God freed them.
Another danger with freedom is the perception that such freedom is absolute freedom. There is a “perfect law of liberty,” and all that we do under the umbrella of freedom must first fall under the law of freedom. You are not free to have your own facts or establish your own doctrine or fabricate your own standards of faith. Freedom in Christ, in other words, is not a cloak for our sins and falsehoods.
Today is day thirty-nine. Today is a day to feel and recognize our freedom in Christ, acknowledging that freedom must be embraced and embraced fully in order for it to transform our lives. It must open us to God and His word in a genuine sense and help us grow.
