Burn the Ships, We are Free Indeed! - Purity 1392

To see today's photo, go to mt4christ.com or follow me, M.t. Clark, on Facebook or Twitter. Good morning. Today's photo of a freshly mown right-of-way that runs parallel to Freedom Road in Easton comes to us from yours truly, as I was moved to capture this simple yet beautiful scene yesterday while I was out walking my canine pal Harley. Well, it's Thursday, July 4th, and today Americans everywhere will be celebrating our nation's independence and While I suppose I am proud to be an American, where at least I know I am free, and I will not forget the men who died who gave that right to me, I have to remember and put first in my praise, thanks, and worship the One who died for me, who gave me freedom over sin and death. While I appreciate the freedoms we have in America and thank our nation's forefa— uh, founders and those who have worked, fought, and died to maintain our country, The freedom I have in Christ surpasses life itself. So the one true God in the three persons of God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit is the only one I will— I give thanks and worship to. In Christ, I have the assurance of my salvation and the joy of a new life free from death and sin. Faith in Jesus gives us the forgiveness of all our sins, his imputed righteousness, and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit who forever changes us by making us spiritually alive and giving us power to be the people that God created us to be. In John 8:36, Jesus tells us, "Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." In Christ, we are free from sin and death, and thus we are free to truly live the life God wants for us by receiving the power to turn from our selfish and sinful ways and to be a part of God's kingdom purpose through good works and by being used by God to share the gospel with others to bring people to him. When we come to Christ, we are no longer who we once were, and to experience the freedom he has given us, we may have to make a decision to be committed to our new life by cutting off all possibilities of going back into the darkness of our pre-Christ existence. By, quote unquote, burning the ships. Yesterday I read the following excerpt on how we are new creations in Christ from The Chosen team's Get Used to Different student guide that I wish to share on, on the day many will talk about freedom but not necessarily know what it truly is. In regard to burning the ships and being not what we were, The Chosen team writes When you follow Jesus, turning back is no longer an option. You have to dig deep and soldier on. You have to burn the ships. If we left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn't you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we what left the old country of sin behind. When we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace, a new life in a new land, says Romans 6:2-3 from The Message. And then the authors continue writing, there will be times when you're tempted to look back, either because you miss your old way of life or because you're still haunted by the shame it holds. Both have the power to distract you and get you— and get your focus off Jesus. But two things are true: the freedom you desire is only found in him, and once you belong to him, you are no longer what you were. The authors then share from the Chosen series episode in which Jesus sends out his disciples two by two, sharing the insight that part of their mission is going out In going out will be to demonstrate how they are no longer what they once were, with unlikely pairings such as a former zealot traveling with a former tax collector to prove the point. They write— Jesus speaking to Z, this is from the show's dialogue— "None of you is what you were. Remember that, all of you. And Z, you and Matthew will be able to remember that better than anyone else." And the authors write, "None of you is what you were. None of you is what you were. None of you is what you were." Let that sink in for a minute, because just like the disciples, once you choose to follow Jesus, you're a new person because you're remade in the image of the one you're following, which means your identity, your purpose, and your hope lie ahead of you, not behind. To help us to come to terms with that, The Chosen team invites us to pray. Jesus, thank you for new beginnings. Thank you for offering freedom from sin and shame. Please help me to stop looking back and to fix my eyes on you and the path ahead of us. It's hard sometimes, so I'm going to need your help each day, each step. Thank you for your promise to stay with me and to remake me in your image. Amen. Yes, we are not what we once were, but in order to experience the truth, to experience that truth, we have to rely on God's help, the strength, guidance, and comfort we receive when we walk in the Spirit. I am happy to announce that despite the temptations to binge eat and make poor food choices yesterday, I am walking into July 4th with what prayerfully will be another day of food plan success. I will have to be determined, self-aware, and remember how giving into temptation, even with something as seemingly harmless as food, can not only sabotage my progress with my health goals, but can be used by the enemy to keep me in bondage to the flesh, disrupt my harmony with God, and can deny— and can be used to deny what the Lord can do through me. Part of our mission in Christ is to demonstrate that we are not what we once were, and I am leaning on the Lord's help to show the world, the flesh, the devil, and myself that who the Son sets free is free indeed. Today's Bible verses come to us from the Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John G. Cruis. This morning's meditation verses come from the section on Example, Good and Bad. And today's verses come from Luke 17:1-3. From the New American Standard Bible, the Word of God says, he said to his disciples, it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come. It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. Today's verses are the third of three passages of scripture that fall under the fifth point of our Counseling Reference Guides resource section on Example: Good and Bad. Good or bad. And that fifth point, of course, is Jesus warns us never to set a bad example and cause others to sin. Today's verses are another reminder from Jesus of how others will attempt to lead us astray, and that we are to rebuke our brothers who sin and offer forgiveness when they repent. A popular meme that makes the rounds on social media from the Brokenhearted is 'Apologies don't mean anything if you're not— if you keep doing what you're sorry for.' This obviously is sent out by those who have forgiven some offense by others, only to have the same offense repeated. Those who fail undoubtedly would love to play the blame game, and Christ shows us here that those who lead us into temptation will be held responsible. But he also teaches that we, the offended or betrayed, should rebuke those who sin against us and quite possibly choose to end relationships with others unless they repent. Jesus certainly isn't telling us not to forgive, uh, for he commands it here and elsewhere. But by juxtapositioning rebuking someone for their sins against conditional forgiveness for repentance, Jesus is perhaps indicating that we should distance ourselves from someone living in darkness. Otherwise, we will hear a whole lot of apologies that mean nothing. We should hold one another accountable and set up boundaries to protect ourselves from sin. And, you know, as we seek to live at peace with all men, but choose to follow the Lord first. As always, I invite all to go to mtforchrist.com, where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. Today we continue sharing from According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament by Stephen F. Alford. And from Alford's devotional, he always prompts us to read a chapter of scripture from the New Testament. Today's chapter is 2 Corinthians 2, and from that chapter he shares portions of verses 10 and 11, which say, if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices. And, uh, Alford shares what looks like to be a poem: Kind and tender and forgiving God in Christ has been to me, so should we to one another kind and tenderhearted be. And then Stephen Alford writes, it is very clear from what Paul says that the devil gains great advantages over believers on the subject of the unforgiving spirit. Paul and saints ever since could say, we are not ignorant of his devices. One only has to look at some meetings, homes, and certain individuals, and can— and one can see what the devices of Satan have wrought through the medium of the unforgiving spirit. So Paul teaches the right spirit that should be adopted in relation to the question of forgiving. I have forgiven in the presence of Christ. And Alfred ends by praying, Lord, give me this forgiving spirit. Amen. Amen. Amen. And right, you know, as, as it turns out, you know, the Lord puts the messages together. I just show up and deliver them. Um, sometimes, you know, I do my best. Um, but yeah, the, the subject of forgiveness comes up you know, we were to rebuke those who sin against us and then forgive them if they repent. Now, some would say, well, they didn't repent, so I don't have to forgive them. But, you know, as 2 Corinthians points out, that the enemy uses unforgiveness in us to, you know, as a foothold, that he uses it against us as part of his schemes to keep us unforgiving. So So yes, it indicates we should, you know, not necessarily have relationship with someone who doesn't repent, but we are to by no means to hold on to our bitterness and be unforgiving. We can forgive people and not be in relationship with them. That's the game changer. Some people don't understand that, you know, like, I can't forgive them because then I'll have to be in, you know, I have to be friends and welcome them back into my home or whatever. That's not necessarily the case. I forgive you. Goodbye. You know, that's a phrase you might need to know. So repeat it 3 times. I forgive you. Goodbye. I'm— I forgive you, but our relationship is over. You know, I don't want to see you anymore. You need to move out of my house. You know, whatever it is. Hopefully, you know, you can reconcile. But if someone fails to repent, they probably aren't capable of it because they probably don't have a relationship with the Lord. And if you're unequally yoked, you're supposed to be separated from unbelievers. We can forgive and repent of the mistakes we've made in the past. Um, you know, and, and as always, we go to the word of God and we go to the Lord. We don't have a— unfortunately, there's no simple flowchart to the Christian life. There are great principles, but, you know, the Lord, the Lord will direct you, um, you know, through his word and through the Holy Spirit to do what is right for you in your situation. You know, we're in a world broken by sin, and we're not going to be able to do everything perfectly. And so the best we can do is to listen to the Lord and to follow his will for our lives the best we can, understanding that we might not always get it right. But we always have room to repent later if we can. But as the burning the ships motif puts forth. Sometimes, you know, there's no going back, there's only going forward. And while we can offer our apologies and our repentance for things we've done in the past, we can't change it, and we can't go back to where we started from. So we can pick up the pieces and start from today forward. And that's the orientation that gives us peace, is we forgive the things of the past and move God, um, and seek to love and live with Christ every day. Um, you know, and if you're not free, well, you have to surrender to the Lord. And our freedom comes through surrender, you know, to the one true God. So we're going to be encouraging people to know the freedom of Christ today on July 4th the best we can. We are going to honor our country by marching in the parade With Operation Adopt a Soldier, as is our tradition with our father-in-law Cliff, who runs Operation Adopt a Soldier, he needs volunteers and we're happy to represent. As my father Matthew was a veteran in the Navy and my brother Michael is a veteran from the Marine Corps, you know, we're proud to be Americans. But we don't put our trust in America or the government or the armed forces. We put our trust in Jesus. The nations of this world will pass away, but only, you know, the kingdom of God will stand forever. You know, the principles of the forefa— you know, the Founding Fathers are nice, but God's word is higher and true, whereas— and unchangeable, whereas The laws of this country will change from one season to another, and it's usually based on majority rule and power and influence that can easily corrupt even our most noblest, you know, intentions as Americans. So we trust in the Lord and follow him only and worship him only. So don't be too prideful today on July 4th. Anyway, uh, that's it. I do have things to do, so, um, we're gonna pray because we need God's help to be strong and courageous on a party day like July 4th. I've just come to discover the addictive patterns, um, and food addiction are very similar to drug and alcohol and sex addiction. And, uh, when you're living in the flesh, even when it's something harmless, that behavior, that craving, that longing, that loss of self-control, that's, you know, I have to call it sin because that's bondage and that's not what God wants us living in. You know, it's a fine line. We have to recognize the spirit that controls us and we want a spirit of peace. And giving in to fleshly temptation fills me with guilt and shame and doesn't give me peace. So we're gonna fight the good fight and try to survive. Yesterday was a close one, as the flesh just wanted to cry out and say, "Ah, forget it," and just, "Ah, you can do it," you know, "Ah, forget it, you can have what you want, go get some ice cream, go whatever, just eat everything you can get your hands on." It's, you know, and that's where the enemy comes in, you know, you gotta realize the tempter isn't just your flesh. The enemy's in there too somewhere. So, you know, we got to stand strong and walk in the Spirit, rebuke the devil and rebuke the flesh, crucify the flesh, right? So we're in a battle. We've had victory before, but we want to walk in it continuously, and that's been the challenge, you know. So, you know, that's been the challenge all our lives, right? You know, yo-yo dieting, that's That's your battle with the flesh. And guess what? And like I said, it's not just you and your physical weakness. There's the enemy there to, you know, tempt you too. So we have to stand on guard against our flesh and, you know, those little voices that say, "Ah, forget it," or, "Just give in to do what you want." So let's pray for the help we need. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in your kingdom. Thank you for the freedom that you've given in Christ. Lord, we thank you for our nation's freedom, and we pray for it to be, you know, one nation under God. We pray for our country and its leaders to repent and to follow you. Um, Lord, we, we know that you're in charge and that your will will be done on earth as it is in heaven one day, and we're praying for that to come sooner rather than later. Um, yeah, and Lord, we also pray for our friends who might be listening or reading today message, that they would be blessed, that they would follow you into the freedom that you have for them, and that you would help them and their prayer requests and their walk of faith. Lord, we thank you, we praise you, we love you. We pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.