Difficult Questions For Today

October 12, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

Matthew 5:29-30

The Pastor’s sermon was right on! Temptation…there isn’t anything that tempts one of us that isn’t common to man. I might be tempted to cheat, to deceive, to indulge in aberrant sexual fantasies through pornography, or I may just not do what God is calling me to do with my time or my money. I could cover all of that up, just as David tried to do with Uriah, by murder, or lying – adding sin upon sin. I am personally accountable to God for whichever of these sins I commit, not to mention the sins of the tongue with which reputations are destroyed, or God Himself is blasphemed.

Certainly there is the tragic danger of passing these attitudes and worldviews on to my children and grandchildren, but it’s not quite the same thing working with a society which endorses murder as an option for people with bad tempers and ill health. In the heat of the moment Cain killed Abel. His punishment was greater than he could bear. He was cast out of fellowship, from the Garden of Eden. Did he blame God for not controlling his temper, for making him vulnerable to the sin of an angry response, for murdering his innocent brother? What made him aware of the guilt of having broken God’s command when as yet that command had not been written?

The point of these fragmented thoughts is that God does not leave any man without excuse. He had already warned Cain that he must master the tendency he had shown by offering the wrong sacrifice (Genesis 4:7). The worst possible punishment was banishment from God’s presence (:13)!

In Romans 1 the same warning is given re another type of sin…this time not murder. And the punishment will be the same – banishment from God’s presence. Death – separation from God! (Romans 1:32). Why does this excite our interest? Because the laws of our country are giving license to the very thing that will separate us from God.

Our children and grandchildren are being offered options by the laws of the land, that are tempting them to believe that God does not mean what He says. Well-meaning Christians are confused and torn, fearful. Which voice should they listen to? Are we ready to give an answer for the reason of the hope that is within us?

It’s hugely important for us to love everyone if we are to follow our Saviour. But love doesn’t give in to what is wrong, what contravenes God’s holy law. How can we truly love our child, or brother, our neighbour, our friend who is going to commit a crime? God showed us the way – He lovingly warns against specific sins so that we will not trespass His standards in ignorance. We are not responsible for the choice that is then made, any more than God was responsible for Cain’s sin and subsequent punishment.

Reflection:

This will not win popularity with the masses, but how broad is the way that leads to destruction? Jesus’ sermon is recorded by Matthew (7:13). How, as Christ-followers do we love the sinner, but hate the sin? How do we protect future generations from being separated from the God we love, who is longing, yearning to have fellowship with mankind? He only requires we do so on His terms of holiness. Will anyone hear us if we stand against the sin, but say we love the sinner? How do we demonstrate that love? How do we encourage people to be responsible followers of the Christ who said some very difficult things?….such as – If your eye or your hand causes you to sin, get rid of them to avoid hell fire (Matthew 5:29-30).

Christians today are faced with a crisis – not just a social crisis, but a crisis of belief. An unnamed man cried out to Jesus: “I do believe; help me to overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). Jesus had just assured him that “everything is possible for him who believes” (:23). Do we believe?

Devotional

Valley of Vision

October 6, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

Isaiah 22:1

Vision is what enables man to see things from God’s perspective. Jerusalem was known as the “Valley of Vision” the valley created by mountains encircling the site of this world-renowned city. It was chosen by Jehovah God where, among all the tribes of Israel, He would put His name (1 Kings 14: 21). Known also as the Royal City, it is the capital of God’s only kingdom on earth. Even today religious groups fight for supremacy, because it is recognized as the Holy City (Nehemiah 11:1). In all of human history God’s greatest act, by which redemption was accomplished, has made Jerusalem the most significant site on earth.

Looking at the ruins of many ancient cities, it is remarkable that Jerusalem still stands today. Many battles have been fought, the temple was razed more than once, yet ”Zion” a New Testament name, remains awaiting the promise of Messiah’s return.

God’s vision for this city has endured through thousands of years of human history. The first record of a Godly presence in Jerusalem was Melchizedek. He was recognized by Abraham as King of Salem, one who lived before the nation of Israel was founded and at least 800 years before King David. Note that Abraham took Isaac to Mount Moriah, the exact site of the Temple of Solomon, to be offered to God, when God Himself intervened. Under God’s specific direction, David and Solomon made the city famous through their architectural design.

Jerusalem today belies the ancient meaning of its name. “U-ru-sa-lim” means peace. Haggai gives us the Lord’s promise of peace: “….and in this place I will grant peace” (2:9). Arabs call it Al-Kuds al-Sharif, meaning Sanctuary. Their greeting “Salam”, and the Jewish greeting “Shalom” both meaning peace, derived from the root word Salem.

Valley of Vision? Entrusted with the Oracles of God, Jerusalem is the seat of many prophetic utterances and/or promises. Jewish worship centered on the temple which housed the ethereal presence of God. In contrast Babylon is called “The desert of the sea” (Isaiah 21:1, 9). God’s Vision was for a kingdom of people who would worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). So the knowledge of God given to the Israelites, comes with a great burden of responsibility – to respond to God’s laws and precepts according to His conditions, to see the world through His eyes!

The Psalmist instructs us to pray for peace in Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). What a great need exists for that peace in our day, with so much territorial fighting taking place between Jews and Arabs. However, we know from Prophecy that peace will only come when the Prince of Peace returns to this world.

Reflection:

God’s vision of holiness challenges us to personal peace – the peace Jesus recommended through loving our brother, our neighbour and our enemy. Surely by applying this to our lives we can share this vision given by God to the ancients of how life in the valley of His promise would be. Are you living in the valley of vision?

Devotional

Presenting a Prophet

September 30, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

Isaiah 21

Many jobs seem to be glamorous to the human mind. Flight attendants, for example, get to travel the world. No one sees the sleeplessness caused by perpetual time zone changes. Nor do the passengers care if the person serving them has needs as simple as eating or washroom breaks…after all the passenger comes first….. and so health issues evolve from job-related limitations.

In years gone by a prophet was someone of status. After all they were connected with God. Even today people want to be known for their ability to prophesy, but I wonder if they are willing to pay the price?

It would take a book to comprehensively study the lives of more than one prophet, so let’s just glimpse into Isaiah’s life for the moment. My morning devotions came from Isaiah 21 where he records a vision that staggered and bewildered him (21:3). Reaction set in – even his body was racked with pain. His heart faltered and fear made him tremble (:4).

Isaiah had just come through three years of going barefoot, stripped of warm garments in order to play out the coming judgment against Egypt, in the dress of a prisoner of war. His entire life, committed to serving God, required that he even name his children according to the word of the Lord. Isaiah 7:3 – Shear-Jashub means “a remnant shall return”. His second son was Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, meaning “quick to plunder, swift to the spoil ”(8:3).

Now God was giving Isaiah words of prophecy against Babylon, Edom and Arabia. “The Lord God of Israel has spoken” (:17). However, God’s judgement doesn’t end there. Jerusalem also falls under God’s condemnation. Why? They had ignored God (22:11). This is an unforgivable sin, then and now. Those that joy in revelry, eating and drinking and making merry without thought for tomorrow (22:12-13) will be judged (22:14).

Imagine the response to such a prophecy, from the people of God. The Israelites were not impressed. Prophets did not hold an enviable position. They were ridiculed, ignored and persecuted for giving unfavourable messages from God. Then as now, people chose to hear what they wanted to hear.

Paul warned Timothy “I give you this charge”. That sounds terribly important! “Preach the Word! Be prepared in season and out of season;, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Prophets today remind us that Jesus is coming again, but how many want to get ready for that great event? Sadly the church is even lukewarm to the message that instructs us to be vigilant. Resting on wealth and comfort as our “right” we fail to realize that we may be among those who are “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” Those are the words of Jesus as He prophesied about end times (Revelation 3:17).

Reflection:

What is it you want to hear from God, if you are honest?

What words of prophecy are most often taught by the church today?

Are we listening to the words of our Prophet, Priest and King?

Is your heart lukewarm?

Devotional

How Should I Pray?

September 21, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

Proverbs 12:18

Recently I learned a dear old friend has stage 2 Parkinson’s Disease. This man is a servant of God, having been in ministry from his youth. I know God’s children are not immune, but he has suffered so much down through years of time. How can I pray? What prayer will be pleasing to God? What does the heart of God feel at this time?

Within the past two weeks it happens I had been exploring a book on prayer. Under three major headings the author discusses “Moving Inward”…seeking the transformation we need, “Moving Upward”…seeking the intimacy we need and “Moving Outward….seeking the ministry we need. Those titles may seem either heavy, or very sublime, depending upon where we are in our journey with God. However, Richard Foster begins by saying that “God is big enough to receive us with all our mixture“ of tangled motives for praying. We come to Him sometimes with selfish or merciful, hateful or loving, bitter or altruistic motives hoping our prayers might play a part in unravelling the good from the bad, the pure from the impure.

Now I would pray for healing for my friend. Why? I do not want him to suffer anymore. Then I remember when my father was terminally ill. At eighty-three God healed him in the best way possible. He put him in a place where there is no more pain or sorrow; He took him home to heaven. Again, as human beings we wrestle with mixed feelings – loss, sorrow, thankfulness, and even joy, when our loved ones are relieved of earthly struggles. We come to God acknowledging that His ways are best, though left to our own devices we would often “fix things” by delaying the wonderful home-going that all Christians must look forward to. Why?

Shouldn’t we pray for healing? Let’s not forget healing takes shape on many levels. Our finite minds can hardly take in the possibilities under the care of an infinite God. The Book of Proverbs tells us “The tongue of the wise brings healing” (12:18). Solomon knew that hasty words and lies demonstrate the weakness of a man’s understanding. A prudent man overlooks insult, knowing there is joy for those who promote peace. The first form of healing comes to each of us from within, as we find our lives being transformed by the Holy Spirit. Perhaps this is why Foster puts “Moving Inward” as number one.

Painful as physical ills may be, there is a wounding of the heart that requires supernatural power and so we seek for healing as we attempt to forgive others. After all we are taught by Jesus’ words and example to forgive others in order for us to receive the exquisite forgiveness of God when we pray (Matthew 6:12). Intimacy with God fixes our minds and hearts on “what would Jesus do” in every situation.

We worship Jesus for the miracles of healing which He performed. This gives us the courage to pray for physical healing today. The testimonies of many attest to the power of God to perform the impossible; Jesus Himself declared that with God anything is possible (Matthew 19:26). Do we believe it?

The critical thing is for us to know the mind of God – His desires for those for whom we pray. As we rush into the presence of God, breathless with anxiety, do we ever pause to embrace the fact His ways are beyond understanding, and that He is perfect in all His ways?

Reflection:

In this generation, when the immediate is primary, how often do we reflect on God’s will and ways. Do our past experiences with God bring delight to our quiet hours of meditation? What do we hang our hopes on? When we pray do we truly know the greatness of our God? Do we desire His pure and holy will be done? We are all familiar with Jesus’ words “Ask, seek, knock”, but the asking becomes more difficult when it requires us to spend time getting to know God’s ways. Only then can we pray in Jesus’ name. Only then can we enter into the reality God’s work, instead of relying on our own narrow hopes and dreams. The greatest prayer we can pray for another is that they might know the delight of God’s presence and peace in the midst of whatever He allows to come into their lives.

Devotional

The Ant

September 15, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

Romans 6

The ant is often used as an illustration in the Bible, of an industrious disposition. “Go to the ant thou sluggard” the King of Israel wrote (Proverbs 6:6-8). From the ant, Solomon suggests, one can learn much about a strong work ethic.

Having had the privilege of working in some tropical and sub-tropical countries and with a keen interest in nature, I’ve had the opportunity to observe several species of ants. I quickly learned to cover a glass of water at my bedside in Guyana, unless I wanted a little protein in my drink! Tiny, light brown ants locally called “fine ants” are drawn to water in any container. This is not the time and place to do a study on the size and habits of these fascinating insects, much as I am tempted.

However, the ant makes a great illustration. Imagine a Guyanese “fine ant” on a tennis ball. You are holding that tennis ball in your hand watching this tiny creature struggle. What are you going to do with it? It’s caught in the hairs of that ball. Can you free it? You actually might smush it in the attempt.

When God holds our earth in His great and mighty hands, we probably look like the ant on the tennis ball. He sees us struggling to be free. What does He do? What can He do? What will He do? All very good questions. The Bible gives us some answers.

Tiny in comparison to our great God, we often find ourselves caught in threads that bind us. These threads are called sin. God’s Word tells us we are actually enslaved by sin. The Apostle Paul is encouraging. All that a person has done, all that you and I are before salvation, is made “old” by comparison to the new life we have in Christ Jesus. “Our old self was crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6).

We may not realize how enslaved we are to the sin nature with which we are all born, thanks to father Adam. But what excites our anticipation is the changes our heavenly Father has made possible through the gift of faith, through Jesus Christ our Lord (Ephesians 2:8-9). All those who receive Him, His sacrifice for sin, have been tenderly lifted out of the tendrils of the tennis ball which entwined us. God has given us a new nature, a new purpose and a new hope!

Now, like the ant, we are free and the benefit we reap, from God’s amazing grace, leads us to holy living! Jesus died to give us salvation, “saving grace” and the result is eternal life! (Romans 6:22)

Reflection:

We each have a choice…will we remain in the grasp of Satan encumbered by sin, or do we choose life with God’s dearly beloved Son? The choice is ours.

Devotional

Then Sings My Soul

September 10, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

Hebrews 12:1-4

Have you ever watched a bubbling brook? How picturesque the tiny rainbows glistening in the spray! What causes the water to bounce and froth? The water is hitting some obstacle. When your life has hit against some rocks does the reaction causes a thousand little rainbows to impact your world with beauty. The hymnist wrote “Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee – How great Thou art!”

When life is hard, and disappointment turns into pain, does the joy of Jesus fill your soul with song? The Bible tells us that the author and finisher [completer] of our faith endured the greatest public shame with joy, because what He went through offered hope to everyone on the planet, then as well as two thousand years later (Hebrews 12:2).

It’s interesting the words the author of Hebrews uses. Not many of us would consider taking up our cross and scorning its shame as joyous, but that is just what Jesus did for you and me. We are called to be like Him in our response to those difficulties which life so often throws at us. Most of us have not resisted trouble to the point of shedding our blood (12:4). We are called to look at hardship as a discipline, not punishment, but rather training in righteous living.

The rainbows resulting make our world a better place. We all know those whose attitude destroys the small graces often found in the midst of trouble. How much sweeter does the love of Jesus make our choices in such moments? And it is a choice. Jesus made the will of His father the goal of His life. He found joy in pleasing His Father. There is no greater thing than that, as we know, who have experienced His peace in the center of our earthly storms.

Joy comes from looking outward; how sad it is to see people who function happily, only in the moment of self-indulgence. …Or self-gratification. That sort of feeling is so very fleeting. It is never enough, but basking in the opportunities to please God by helping others brings a song to our lips! This is when we really “taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8)

And that song brings glory to our Creator, Redeemer and friend! Immediately our hearts unite because it is the will of God, our Father, to provide for the needs of others through the riches we have experienced of grace, mercy and forgiveness. Then our souls are free to worship in the spirit of holiness, clothed in the righteousness of Christ’s abiding love! Then sings my soul!

Reflection:

How often do we look for externals to create a spirit of happiness? If I only had….? If I were just a bit older? Younger? If I had health and strength think what service I could offer to God. Many years ago I learned that God Himself equips us to do His will. Therefore circumstances don’t need to alter in order for me to have a joyful song, to celebrate love, peace and hope. I worship God by grasping the opportunities of this moment, today. How sad and actually wasteful it is to live life expecting changes that we think will equip us for acts of mercy, in a spirit of encouragement.

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Psalm 95:7b, 8a). Then sings my soul!

Devotional

Love Story

September 2, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

Revelation 19:6-9

It’s the stuff movies are made of! Girl meets boy accidentally while jogging in the park. His accent gives away his foreign extraction. Where did he come from? He seems like quite an ordinary bloke; they do ordinary things together – picnics, movies, hiking, those sorts of things. He does make her feel special and she falls in love. They fall in love. He proposes, but before he does he has something to tell her about his past. He’s a prince. What a joke! No – it’s not a joke and gradually her life begins to change. Some people weep over romantic stories.

For me the tale is a reminder of a true story. The man is from a far away place and his attitude gives away his place of origin. He certainly makes everyone feel uniquely special, but it becomes a personal love story! He tells his bride he is going to prepare a place for her and will return to take her to her new, forever home; perhaps it’s a castle in the sky. The secret is out – He is a Prince. However, this true story gives away other secrets. But first – who is the Bride? We might have met this man in the park, or in the mall, in school, at work or even some have met him at home. Other people have found him frequenting unusual places like jails and hospitals. There is an aura of romance which follows him everywhere he goes.

The Oxford dictionary defines romance as “a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement and remoteness from everyday life as in ’the romance of the sea’”. The Bible is full of romance….mystery and excitement at least. Certainly the supernatural often feels remote from every day life, but God does not intend us to feel remote from Him and so He entered human existence 2,000 years ago. People were drawn with fascination to the young man who walked throughout what we now call “The Holy Land”.

Jesus describes a Kingdom – His kingdom, actually, and Himself as not only the king but as a bridegroom, One who seems to be a long time coming. Matthew 25:1 and 5 record the story of 10 virgins who were waiting for the wedding. Marriage here on earth between a man and woman is important as a foreshadowing of this real romance, a story with a “happily ever-after” ending! The Church is the Bride of Christ. His love for her cost Him everything He had, but it was worth it because eternal glory awaits the Church.

God has given us a glimpse through the “Revelation” given to John. “The wedding of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready”. She is dressed in bright clean linen, a gift of righteousness from the groom (Revelation 19:7-8). Paul gives us more details – “The Church submits to Christ…..Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy…to present her as a radiant Church [bride] Ephesians 5:24-27).

There will be music and feasting at this marriage! A great multitude will celebrate the wedding of the Lamb singing “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty Reigns! Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!” “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:6, 7, 9).

Reflection:

Do you see yourself participating in this love story? Are you waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ with eager anticipation? If not, there is still time to prepare. He includes everyone in His invitation – people from every tribe have been purchased for God with the blood of Christ, people from every language and nation (Revelation 5:9). His love is calling you today.

Devotional

In Awesome Wonder

August 28, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

Revelation 12:10-12

“Oh Lord my God when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made….”

Matt Redman wrote a story about renewal. He understood heart longings for something bigger and better on one’s spiritual journey and the starting point, he discovered, is Jesus! It is that simple.

“When the music fades, all is stripped away and I simply come, longin’ just to bring something that’s of worth that

will bless Your heart. I’ll bring You more than a song, for a song in itself is not what You have required. You search

much deeper within, through the ways things appear; You’re looking into my heart!

I’m comin’ back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about You, it’s all about You, Jesus.”

The song-writer goes on to apologize for the thing he has made of worship, when it is all about Jesus, “King of endless worth!” In fact, he thought no one could express just how much Jesus, King of Kings, deserves. This begs the question – why do so many of our so-called worship songs talk about me and my experience when it should be all about Him and His experience – glorious Saviour and Lord!

One only has to look into the face of a flower to know the intricacies of design. But the detail of creation is only superseded by the vastness of the universe. Another song-writer expressed it as “Awesome Wonder”! God’s design – In the beginning, John wrote (John 1:1-3), Jesus, the Word of God came down to live among men and women. Awesome! God with us – written on some currency, written on some hearts!

Do you know that the hymn “How Great Thou Art” is second favourite to Amazing Grace? It is God’s grace that covers the sins of those who believe and receive Jesus as Saviour and Lord, those who identify themselves as sinners in need of mercy and grace. The hymnwriter puts himself in the same category – “wretch” he calls it.

Wretchedness is defined for us by google as “the state of being extremely unhappy, miserable or in deep physical and emotional distress.… commonly used to describe severe suffering or deep poverty”. Jesus said “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3) meaning that when we come to God it is with the reality of His Sovereignty in mind, compared to our wretchedness.

Reflection:

When we worship God in spirit and in truth, then, it must be with the effect His majesty has upon us. In Revelation we find the 24 elders, with multitudes, bowing down before the Lord Jesus, singing praises for His sacrifice at Calvary (Revelation 5, 7, 19). He is often described as “the Lamb”, that sacrificial Lamb of prophecy, fulfilled in our Lord. If this isn’t awesome what is?

Devotional

Saving Grace

August 20, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

John 3:16-19

One sometimes hears heroic stories about saving someone from fire or drowning, or even earthquake victims who miraculously survived under rubble for days. The time and energy spent to recover those folks is often noted by the media of our day and sometimes ballads, over centuries of time, have been sung to honour those with such daring and fortitude.

There is one person who remains unsung by the multitudes He came to save. Our Lord Jesus Christ came, He told Nicodemus, to save the world. What a daunting task! Disappointingly, mankind has reversed the order of God’s intentions, and fears His condemnation without realizing the depth of love which prompted Him to send His only begotten Son as Saviour.

Fearing His condemnation, in one fell swoop men and women refuse the good and choose the bad because they do not know God. His sympathies demanded He provide for His human creatures something they could never accomplish on their own. Such compassion! Such a cost!

Our scripture today tells us that God gave His Son. How many of us are willing to give our sons or daughters to a worthy cause? Some believing parents have feared the risk their children take by going to the mission field and would deny them the opportunity of doing the will of God, if they could. I was thinking of the selfishness of my own thoughts, when it comes to sharing the time and presence of my own children. But God did not let any such thing hold Him back from giving His only Son!

Loving you and me was worth the risk! Jesus promised eternal life to all those who believe on His name, back then as well as twenty-one centuries later! He has kept that promise. Many folks today are impacted by the thrill of gospel truths being preached in His matchless name.

There is no escape from condemnation…everyone stands condemned before God (John 3:18). We are helpless because we cannot earn our salvation. Living in the darkness of ignorance or disbelief, people perish into a lost eternity because they do not understand the magnitude of God’s amazing grace.

Reflection:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2). Does the grace of God excite your passion enough to pass on the good news?

Devotional

Enslaved by Freedom

August 11, 2026 AdminLeave a comment

Galatians 3:13

Freedom has been sought throughout the course of human history. It started in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Even rebelled against God’s loving authority in order to make decisions on their own. Sometimes the desire for freedom is born out of the fear that we might miss out on something – like knowing about good and evil.

God’s Word tell us believers were called to be free. What does that mean? Does it contradict itself? In writing to Titus Paul tells him to remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities (3:1). Does that sound like freedom? Then Paul draws a comparison between believers and what they were before they had a personal relationship with the Father God – foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures (3:3).Imagine being enslaved by pleasure!

That life-style can’t be as good as it sounds because apparently it brings with it malice and envy, being hated as well as hating one another. But God! The nature of God, kindly and loving, caused Him to intervene. Through Jesus Christ our Lord God saved us and freed us through the power of the Holy Spirit, to devote ourselves to doing what is good (3:5-8). Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13), freeing us from eternal punishment and spreading the love of God to every nation, even to the Gentiles (:14).

Now there seems to be a little mystery here, because Paul wrote to the Corinthians church that even those who are slaves, but also who are redeemed, are called the Lord’s “freedman”. And conversely, those who are free, but become followers of Jesus are actually Christ’s slaves (1 Corinthians 7:22). It would seem that the attitude of our mind determines whether we are free or not. To be free in one’s spirit is far different from being free in the body.

As sometimes happens, however, there are those who would pervert that truth. The Apostle Paul might have been writing to people in our world today. He found it necessary to warn the Galatians not to use their freedom to indulge the sinful nature (5:13). The reality of freedom is not to do what I like, but I am free with the glorious opportunity to serve others. Burdened with sin and self, I cannot see beyond my rights and privileges to help those in need. If this becomes a dilemma we might reflect on the fact that “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17), and we as follows of Jesus are being transformed into His likeness!

Reflection:

How do you know you are free? (John 8:32)

Romans 6:7 refers to someone who has died being freed from sin. What kind of death is Paul talking about? Check verse 11.

Have you ever used your freedom as a cover-up for evil? (1 Peter 2:16)