November 24, 2012 … Freedom! – In Christ

Chronological Bible Reading Plan - Day 329

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Blogger’s Note: If you’re reading with me today, go to this link  and listen to a wonderful song by Nichole Nordeman, expressing the heart of the message in my devotional entry today.
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Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Galatians, Chapters 4-6 To study these chapters, go to this link - 
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Highlight Passages: Galatians 4: 8-12… : [NLT] … {Paul pleads with those who followed the true gospel to conversion when he was with them in his first journey to their area; but now he grieves that they are losing their fellowship with God’s Spirit by succumbing to the false teachings of the Judaizers, who have them believing that it is their works or lack thereof which sanctify them instead of the freedom found in living under the true Gospel. It’s so easy for mankind to default to legalism and think that our works transform us, rather than being freed from the Law and living in faith where it is God’s gift of grace which frees us live with Spirit-led power.} …  
8 Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. 9 And now that you have found God (or should I say, now that God has found you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual powers of this world? 10 You are trying to find favor with God by what you do or don’t do on certain days or months or seasons or years. 11 I fear for you. I am afraid that all my hard work for you was worth nothing. 12 Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles were—free from the law. 
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Highlight Passages: Galatians 5: 1; 5-6; 19-23… : [NLT] … {Paul wanted the Galatians Christians [as well as you and me] to know that they [we] have a choice to live in the bondage of sin or in the freedom offered freely by God’s Spirit in Christ. We choose to live, either under slavery to sin, resulting in the fruit of the flesh (see Gal. 5: 19-21] or as slaves to Christ, freed from the bondage of sinful living, bearing the fruit of the Spirit, which are living expressions of God’s character [see Gal. 5: 22-23 below].} …  
1 So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. … 
5 But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive everything promised to us who are right with God through faith. 6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, it makes no difference to God whether we are circumcised or not circumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love. … 
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. 
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Highlight Passages: Galatians 6: 14-16… : [NLT] … { Get it straight! We are free in Him!!!} … 14 As for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world died long ago, and the world’s interest in me is also long dead. 15 It doesn’t make any difference now whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people. 16 May God’s mercy and peace be upon all those who live by this principle. They are the new people of God. 
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Reference Passage: John 8: 31-32 : [NKJV] … {Yes, Jesus said it too! And as Nichole sang in that song you hopefully heard earlier, in Him we are free indeed!!} … 31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. 32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” 

My Journal for Today: Today, I’m really not going to write much, because all that need be said in journaling on these three chapters in Paul’s letter to Christians – in Galatia and everywhere – can be summarized in the song I linked you to today and the words I’ve written above in bold text.

 So, I hope you’ve heard Nichole Nordeman’s touching song and read my words above; and I pray that we’re all free … IN CHRIST!

My Prayer Today: … Lord, in you I live and move and have my being! Amen