Freedom
isn't free if we choose to let our physical lusts and desires have free reign
in our lives, we become captive to those desires, and they end up controlling
us. It is like the tail wagging the dog.
Jesus died to set us free from
ourselves and the power that energizes our selfish desires. We all serve some
master, whether it is our desire or the will of another, everyone serves someone or something else.
What Jesus did on the
cross was to eliminate the middle man. He put an end to the constant influence
of Satan and his fallen angels who take our desires and twist them into
thoughts of sin or evil. We can be free of these twisted desires and live without this
constant barrage upon our minds, just by choosing Christ as our savior and realizing
that He is a good master and only wants the best to be formed in our lives.
Now, why would we lay down our desires so that Christ could be formed in us?
The reason is our desires in and of themselves lead only to death and destruction; they are utterly
devoid of life, while serving Christ brings an awareness that His life is alive and working through us as it brings new life to us and along with His peace.
The transformative power of Christ is what changes us and
draws us deeper into a relationship with Him. We call Him Lord and master, but
He is so much more, He is our closest friend and confidant.
"I have never called you' servants, because a master
doesn't confide in his servants, and servants don't always understand what the
master is doing. But I call you my most intimate friends, for I reveal to you
everything that I've heard from my Father." John 15:15 (TPT)
Jesus is also closer to us than a lover, for he truly
loves us passionately and will never leave us or forsake us. There are so many
verses that tell us of the Lord's passionate love for us.
"So now I live with the confidence that there
is nothing in the universe with the power to separate us from God's love. I'm
convinced that his love will triumph over death, life's troubles, fallen
angels, or dark rulers in the heavens. There is nothing in our present or
future circumstances that can weaken his love. There is no power above us or
beneath us—no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance
us from God's passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord
Jesus, the Anointed One!" Romans 8:38-39 (TPT)
Jesus has put His trust in us by revealing His heart to
us; He has become closer than a brother. His love transcends all of our
experiences and our expectations, for He is God.
The type of relationship I am
speaking of that we have been offered with Jesus is intimate and passionate; it is in that
relationship that we have this freedom from ourselves. We can choose to use
that freedom wisely and receive His love to tell others of His love and
demonstrate what true love is, or we can let selfishness have rule our physical
desires which control us and keep us from experiencing the depths and breadth of His
love for us and others.
We don't lose ourselves in Jesus; we find ourselves and
our real purpose for this life in Jesus Christ. When we realize that God created
us for Himself, we become in touch with the truth of creation, that we were
created for a purpose which is to love Him. He has already demonstrated that He
loves us by dying on a cross to purchase us back to God. We have been restored
to our proper standing with the Father through Jesus.
"See how much the Father has loved us! His
love is so great that we are called God's children—and so, in fact, we are.
This is why the world does not know us: it has not known God." 1 John 3:1 (GNT)
One of the things mentioned in verse at the top of this post today is "love your neighbor as you love yourself," this can be difficult if you don't like yourself or have self-hatred.
Loving yourself for who God made you is critical; it is one of the fundamental
truths about faith in Christ Jesus. You are loved by Jesus first (before anything else). That love validates you and lets you know that His
love is for you and not against you, you can give Him all our doubt, fear, and
pain and ask him to heal your brokenness with His love and restore you into
right relationship with yourself and with Him.
You are loved and cherished as
His special child, and that His love is yours for the taking. Jesus can reach
into our past and heal what is broken by letting you know He was always there
with you. He cried with you when you were hurting, laughed with you when you
were happy, and embraced you when you were lonely, He was always there with
you, and He is with you now.
"So when Jesus landed he had a huge crowd waiting
for him. Seeing so many people, his heart was deeply moved with compassion
toward them, so he healed all the sick who were in the crowd." Matthew 14:14 (TPT)
That is a resource that is worth sharing with your
neighbors, people who also need to know that God loves them. He is your friend,
confidant, lover, and healer.
The love of God is our most excellent resource of all; He
gives us life, and we have the freedom to love.
Be Blessed;
Stephen Barnett
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