July 18

“The law-abiding citizen who has no thought of breaking the laws of his country is as free from those laws as though there were none.  The law is dead as far as he is concerned because it demands only that which he himself thinks is best and right, and which, therefore, he wants to give, and for him in effect there is no law.”  Hannah Whitall Smith, Daily Secrets, 7/18

This is what scripture is talking about when we are told we are freed from the law in Christ Jesus.  Because we’ve been forgiven of our sins and Christ is our substitute for the penalty of sin, we have been reconciled with God.  And because we’ve been reconciled God is able now to provide all that we need if we will just trust Him to do so.  The only reason we sin in the first place is so we can get our needs met ourselves.  This “freedom in Christ” is what is so elusive to many Christians.  It seems too simple.  But it is simple, just not easy.  It’s not easy because we must contend with our flesh which is continually tempting us to be lazy and go with the flow--the old comfortable rut we lived in for so long.  On the one hand, coming to Christ at a young age helps to reduce the depth of that rut, but at the same time, an adult who has been saved out of a life of degradation may be more appreciative of what Jesus has done for them.  In both cases, though, we must continue to be diligent in our worship of God so that we never lose sight of Who we belong to!

“Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.  For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”  Galatians 6:7, 8