Christ Has Set Us Free - The Crosswalk Devotional - May 11

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Christ Has Set Us Free
By Vivian Bricker

Bible Reading: 
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).

When we think of freedom, we usually think of America gaining independence from Britain. In America, this is what we celebrate on the Fourth of July—our independence. It is common for us to celebrate our independence and freedom today, yet most of us still live in a prison we have constructed for ourselves. Despite the Lord having already set us free by blessing us with salvation, we are still living in a manufactured prison.

Whenever we actively live in sin, we are building a prison around ourselves. Even if we might think we have everything “covered” or “controlled,” we do not. We are never in control of sin—it is controlling us. This is why we must not become calloused to sin. Sin is sin, no matter what sin it might be.

Many people think certain sins are more severe than others, but all are equal. If we commit one sin, it is just as bad as committing all. This is because God does not treat sin lightly. There are consequences for our sins that will prevail in our lives. We might think we control everything, but when things start turning sour, we can only blame ourselves.

Sin is not good, and as Christians, we don't need to promote it. I have seen too many people turn away from God by engaging in a life of sin, and it only eats away at their hearts. Rather than continuing to live in a state of slavery to sin, we need to step out of the chains. The Lord has already set us free, and we must continue to walk in this freedom.

Jesus’ Freedom

The Apostle Paul tells us, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). As Paul says in this passage, Jesus has set us free. With this freedom, we need to stand firm and not allow ourselves to be burdened again by the yoke of slavery. The freedom the Lord has given us is eternal, constant, and steadfast.

We must enter the light instead of locking ourselves away in our prisons. In this light, we see Jesus and the freedom He died for us to possess. Freedom is never given for nothing. Instead, Jesus had to die for our sins for this freedom to come to us. With this in mind, we must take hold of this freedom, turn away from sin, and bring glory to the Lord. Praise Him, thank Him, and walk in obedience to His Word.

The more we do this, the more we will begin truly living in the freedom of Christ. Maybe we are not struggling with a specific sin right now, but we are dealing with fear. We don't need to let fear keep us in prison, either. With the Lord’s freedom, we can step out of our prison of fear and walk in the confidence of the Lord. Jesus is always protecting us, and there is no reason to fear.

No matter what you are being held as an enslaved person today, give it over to Jesus. He has already given you freedom; it is time to take it. The Lord loves us and wants us to live in the freedom of the abundant life He has given us. There is no time to continue to be a slave to sin, fear, or anything else. Jesus has set us free, and this freedom will never be taken away.

Intersecting Faith & Life:
Are you currently walking in the freedom of Jesus? Why or why not?

Does the prison of sin, fear, or something else cause you to feel safer? If so, explain.

What would it look like to remove yourself from your self-made prison?

“Dear Jesus, I've been living in a prison for too long. You have set me free; I'm taking hold of it today. Whenever I start drifting back to my prison, please pull me toward You. Thank you for your freedom, Lord. I know you went to great lengths to set me free. I praise You, Amen.”

Further Reading:
John 10:10
2 Peter 2:19
John 8:36

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/m-imagephotography


Vivian Bricker author bio photoVivian Bricker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry, followed by a Master of Arts with an emphasis in theology. She loves all things theology, mission work, and helping others learn about Jesus. Find more of her content at Cultivate.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com

Listen to the Jesus Calling Podcast!

Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today, we are featuring guests who speak to themes that all of us might be experiencing in this season of winter. As the days grow shorter and the night longer, we are offered a rare gift: permission to stop. This season can be a challenging time for many, and if you are struggling with low spirits, please know you are not alone, and help is available. This episode is an opportunity to honor your weariness, to resist the urge to rush, and to discover the profound healing that happens when we simply let ourselves rest in the stillness. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

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Larry Elder is an American lawyer, writer, and radio and television personality who calls himself the "Sage of South Central" a district of Los Angeles, Larry says his philosophy is to entertain, inform, provoke and to hopefully uplift. His calling card is "we have a country to save" and to him this means returning to the bedrock Constitutional principles of limited government and maximum personal responsibility. Elder's iconoclastic wit and intellectual agility makes him a particularly attractive voice in a nation that seems weary of traditional racial dialogue.” – Los Angeles Times.

Mike Gallagher Mike Gallagher began his broadcasting career in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio. Today, he is one of the most listened-to talk radio show hosts in America, recently having been ranked in the Talkers Magazine “Heavy Hundred” list – the 100 most important talk radio hosts in America. Prior to being launched into national syndication in 1998, Mike hosted the morning show on WABC-AM in New York City. Today, Talkers Magazine reports that his show is heard by over 3.75 million weekly listeners. Besides his radio work, Mike is seen on Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor, frequently appearing on the cable news giant.

Hugh Hewitt is one of the nation’s leading bloggers and a genuine media revolutionary. He brings that expertise, his wit and what The New Yorker magazine calls his “amiable but relentless manner” to his nationally syndicated show each day.

When Dr. Sebastian Gorka was growing up, he listened to talk radio under his pillow with a transistor radio, dreaming that one day he would be behind the microphone. Beginning New Year’s Day 2019, he got his wish. Gorka now hosts America First every weekday afternoon 3 to 6pm ET. Gorka’s unique story works well on the radio. He is national security analyst for the Fox News Channel and author of two books: "Why We Fight" and "Defeating Jihad." His latest book releasing this fall is “War For America’s Soul.” He is uniquely qualified to fight the culture war and stand up for what is great about America, his adopted home country.

Broadcasting from his home station of KRLA in Los Angeles, the Dennis Prager Show is heard across the country. Everything in life – from politics to religion to relationships – is grist for Dennis’ mill. If it’s interesting, if it affects your life, then Dennis will be talking about it – with passion, humor, insight and wisdom.

Sean Hannity is a conservative radio and television host, and one of the original primetime hosts on the Fox News Channel, where he has appeared since 1996. Sean Hannity began his radio career at a college station in California, before moving on to markets in the Southeast and New York. Today, he’s one of the most listened to on-air voices. Hannity’s radio program went into national syndication on September 10, 2001, and airs on more than 500 stations. Talkers Magazine estimates Hannity’s weekly radio audience at 13.5 million. In 1996 he was hired as one of the original hosts on Fox News Channel. As host of several popular Fox programs, Hannity has become the highest-paid news anchor on television.

Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, longtime cable TV news commentator, and best-selling author of six books. She started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to the Seattle Times in 1995, and has been penning nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She is founder of conservative Internet start-ups Hot Air and Twitchy.com. Malkin has received numerous awards for her investigative journalism, including the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership (1998), the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award for Investigative Journalism (2006), the Heritage Foundation and Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity's Breitbart Award for Excellence in Journalism (2013), the Center for Immigration Studies' Eugene Katz Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration Award (2016), and the Manhattan Film Festival's Film Heals Award (2018). Married for 26 years and the mother of two teenage children, she lives with her family in Colorado. Follow her at michellemalkin.com. (Photo reprinted with kind permission from Peter Duke Photography.)

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Christ Has Set Us Free - The Crosswalk Devotional - May 11

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

The Crosswalk Devotional updated banner logo

Christ Has Set Us Free
By Vivian Bricker

Bible Reading: 
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).

When we think of freedom, we usually think of America gaining independence from Britain. In America, this is what we celebrate on the Fourth of July—our independence. It is common for us to celebrate our independence and freedom today, yet most of us still live in a prison we have constructed for ourselves. Despite the Lord having already set us free by blessing us with salvation, we are still living in a manufactured prison.

Whenever we actively live in sin, we are building a prison around ourselves. Even if we might think we have everything “covered” or “controlled,” we do not. We are never in control of sin—it is controlling us. This is why we must not become calloused to sin. Sin is sin, no matter what sin it might be.

Many people think certain sins are more severe than others, but all are equal. If we commit one sin, it is just as bad as committing all. This is because God does not treat sin lightly. There are consequences for our sins that will prevail in our lives. We might think we control everything, but when things start turning sour, we can only blame ourselves.

Sin is not good, and as Christians, we don't need to promote it. I have seen too many people turn away from God by engaging in a life of sin, and it only eats away at their hearts. Rather than continuing to live in a state of slavery to sin, we need to step out of the chains. The Lord has already set us free, and we must continue to walk in this freedom.

Jesus’ Freedom

The Apostle Paul tells us, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). As Paul says in this passage, Jesus has set us free. With this freedom, we need to stand firm and not allow ourselves to be burdened again by the yoke of slavery. The freedom the Lord has given us is eternal, constant, and steadfast.

We must enter the light instead of locking ourselves away in our prisons. In this light, we see Jesus and the freedom He died for us to possess. Freedom is never given for nothing. Instead, Jesus had to die for our sins for this freedom to come to us. With this in mind, we must take hold of this freedom, turn away from sin, and bring glory to the Lord. Praise Him, thank Him, and walk in obedience to His Word.

The more we do this, the more we will begin truly living in the freedom of Christ. Maybe we are not struggling with a specific sin right now, but we are dealing with fear. We don't need to let fear keep us in prison, either. With the Lord’s freedom, we can step out of our prison of fear and walk in the confidence of the Lord. Jesus is always protecting us, and there is no reason to fear.

No matter what you are being held as an enslaved person today, give it over to Jesus. He has already given you freedom; it is time to take it. The Lord loves us and wants us to live in the freedom of the abundant life He has given us. There is no time to continue to be a slave to sin, fear, or anything else. Jesus has set us free, and this freedom will never be taken away.

Intersecting Faith & Life:
Are you currently walking in the freedom of Jesus? Why or why not?

Does the prison of sin, fear, or something else cause you to feel safer? If so, explain.

What would it look like to remove yourself from your self-made prison?

“Dear Jesus, I've been living in a prison for too long. You have set me free; I'm taking hold of it today. Whenever I start drifting back to my prison, please pull me toward You. Thank you for your freedom, Lord. I know you went to great lengths to set me free. I praise You, Amen.”

Further Reading:
John 10:10
2 Peter 2:19
John 8:36

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/m-imagephotography


Vivian Bricker author bio photoVivian Bricker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry, followed by a Master of Arts with an emphasis in theology. She loves all things theology, mission work, and helping others learn about Jesus. Find more of her content at Cultivate.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com

Listen to the Jesus Calling Podcast!

Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today, we are featuring guests who speak to themes that all of us might be experiencing in this season of winter. As the days grow shorter and the night longer, we are offered a rare gift: permission to stop. This season can be a challenging time for many, and if you are struggling with low spirits, please know you are not alone, and help is available. This episode is an opportunity to honor your weariness, to resist the urge to rush, and to discover the profound healing that happens when we simply let ourselves rest in the stillness. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

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