Burn the Ships, We are Free Indeed! – Purity 139
Purity 1392 07/03/2024 Purity 1392 Podcast
Purity 1392 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of a freshly mown right of way that runs parallel to “Freedom Road” in Easton comes to 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 is 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’m free and I won’t 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 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 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 (NKJV) Jesus tells us
36 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 “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 the day many will talk about freedom but not 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’ll have to dig deep and soldier on. You’ll have to burn the ships.
“If we’ve 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 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!” Romans 6: 2, 3 (MSG)
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 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’s series episode in which Jesus sends out His disciples two by two, sharing the insight that part of their mission 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”)… 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.”
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 truth, 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.”
(Get Used to Different Student Guide, The Chosen Team: Covington, Bennett, Hershberger, Claypool, Mallerna, Campbell, & Murdock, 2024).
Amen!
Yes, we are not what we once were but in order 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 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 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 strength to show the world, the flesh, the devil, and myself that who the Son sets free is free indeed!
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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .
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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By John G. Kruis.
( While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick Google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late author’s work. (https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Scripture-Reference-Counseling-Kruis-ebook/dp/B00CIUJZT2?ref_=ast_author_dp )
This morning’s meditation verses come from the section on Example (Good or Bad).
Luke 17:1-3 (NASB)
1 He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come!
2 “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble.
3 “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 guide resource’s section on Example (Good or Bad).
5. 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 broken-hearted is “Apologies don’t mean anything 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 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 to NOT Forgive, for He commands it here and elsewhere. But by juxta positioning 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 we seek to live at peace with all men but choose to follow the Lord first.
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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.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. Olford – A Collection of Devotional Journals: 1940-1941.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase Olford’s books for your own private study and to support his work. This resource is available online for less than $10 at many sites.
MORNING READING: 2 CORINTHIANS 2
“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.” – 2 Corinthians 2:10-11
Kind and tender and forgiving,
God in Christ has been to me;
So should we, to one another,
Kind and tenderhearted be.
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” (2 Cor. 2:11). One only has to look at some meetings, homes, or certain individuals, 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.”
Lord, give me this forgiving spirit. Amen.[1]
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Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship
[1] Stephen Olford and Heather Olford, According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament, A Collection of Devotional Journals 1940-1941 (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2008).
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