The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"Free Indeed"
Part 2 - No Excuses
"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36).
How free are born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ? And what liberty has our Savior bestowed upon us?
First, we are "free indeed." Regardless of past experience, how we feel, or what contrary thoughts may course through our brains, believers are ever and always free to trust and obey God in the power of the Holy Spirit.
"The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2).
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (I Corinthians 10:13).
Never has any born again believer been tempted so slyly or severely that we have even the slightest excuse for any sin. Devils, people, and the law of sin in our own flesh can and will challenge us. None are greater than "He that is in you," or our capacity through Christ to overcome by grace through faith (I John 4:4). We are free to trust and obey God in all things, at all times, and in all challenges. We may and will sometimes succumb to temptation, but no excuse exists for those liberated by Christ's "free indeed" promise of His presence and power. God does not allow our enemies to "tempt above that ye are able," nor can any foe confront us with any enticement greater than our Lord's keeping and enabling ability.
Do we believe this about Him? We likely do. We trust Him for our eternal salvation, much less the issues of time. Do we believe this about ourselves? This may be less certain. Past experience and even present sensation may tempt us to believe ourselves to be somewhat less than "free indeed." Or a false humility that belies God's truth and the "new creature" we are in Christ may entice us to let ourselves off the hook for failures that never should have occurred (II Corinthians 5:17; I John 5:4-5). No excuse has ever existed for any sin, nor will we ever have license to look toward Heaven in times of failure with anything other than complete and contrite acknowledgement of our failure to trust and obey God.
Let us then settle the matter in our hearts and minds as a matter of doctrine, belief, and conviction. "Free." "Free indeed." Every time we have ever sinned as a believer, we did so as the liberated who scandalously acted as if still imprisoned. We acted as if the Lord Jesus is not who He is, and that we are not who we are in Him and in the Holy Spirit so freely given to indwell us as the liberated Life of our lives. God graciously and blessedly forgives us for such lapses as we confess our sins. But only as we do so in the repentance of taking complete responsibility for them. As the saying goes, "God forgives sins through the blood of Christ. He does not forgive excuses." The blame-shifting that began in Eden long ago has no place in the liberated "free indeed" sons and daughters of God in Christ. His presence, power, and promise to lead us through every challenge assures us of grace to overcome, mercy in times of failure, and the provision of forgiveness and cleansing as we join David in the contrition that takes complete responsibility and shifts no blame…
"I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing, but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolishly."
(I Chronicles 21:8)
Weekly Memory Verse
But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 4:19)
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