Good morning to all on this crisp November morning. Waine and I are just finishing up a weekend in Hawkinsville and as usual these bonding weekends are just so special. Freddie, Kai and Hailie will be in Atlanta until Wednesday so I will get to play Obachan with my "gran' pickney them" for a couple of days. Although still jet lagging a bit, Waine and I are getting back to a sleep cycle that is somewhat normal. Continue to keep ET and his family in your prayers as he finishes his course of radiation therapy and continue to keep Waine's Mom in your prayers. Waine just said, the other day he was out looking at the stars and ran out of stars to thank god for all his blessings. We are blessed as you are and when we start our days thanking God for His infinite blessings, our day can only be an adventure that is worth living.
I am continuing my journey in Romans 7 verses 1-6, "Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." Amen and amen!
We have been released, released, released, RELEASED! We are not captives to either the law of Moses or the sin that is the consequence of man's transgression of the law. I had to think about that for a minute. My concept of sinning was that I was born with a sinful nature because of Adam and Eve's transgression against the law/commandment of God. What Paul is saying is that the minute Christ died for our sins, we were released--not about to be released--not may be released--WE WERE RELEASED from the authority of the Law and the authority of the flesh. So why do we sin? We don't accept the freedom that comes with Christ and His sacrifice for us! We go back to that old way of thinking where the flesh rules.
We are able to bear the Fruits of the Spirit not because of anything we do with respect to the Law of Moses; we bear the Fruits of the Spirit because Christ died and we are Christians, period! Its like breathing air. There is no struggle when you realize that you have been set free from the bondage of sin. You are RICH, RICH, RICH so be generous with your lives and the Fruits of the Spirit that is a result of this freedom. For example, instead of feeling frustrated because of the people you have to interact with, be joyous and generous in your joy. People can't affect you, you have been released. If you are feeling frustrated because you perceive you have more debt than money, then be generous and give more money to Christ. Your bank account will stay full because this is a promise of God through Christ. If you are ill and everyone has given up on your healing on this side of Jordan, then rejoice because for you to live is Christ and to die is gain. Live your life and be generous as if you knew you had another 100 years to live. If you are living in adultry, admit that your fleshis dead and that you have a new life in Christ. The emotional satisfaction that comes through a relationship with Christ will far and exceed any fleeting satisfaction from an adulterous relationship.
I am just getting this concept of RELEASE and feel liberated today because I do not have to be a slave to anger, fear or any other negative emotion. I am a child of the King and my ransom has been PAID IN FULL. I need only to turn my face and heart to it.
Test your freedom today and live like the Child of the King that you are!
Stephanie
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