GOD’S WORD FOR DECEMBER 1 ~ ~ Exodus 8:28 ~ ~ “ Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, so that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Plead for me.”
This verse is a picture of the world, the flesh and the devil. You know that people make fun of someone who is very devoted to the Lord Jesus. Our friends don’t want us “going so far” away from the holdings of this world….and them…… “don’t take that religious stuff so seriously” Just as Pharoah didn’t want to lose control of the Hebrews, but yet, notice he still wanted them to pray for him, so God would take the plagues away. The world wants the blessings of God without giving themselves to Him. He wanted to keep a rein on them so they don’t take this religion thing too far, and forget about his power over them, but if he could use them to grab a few blessings from God, he’d try.
Of course, the power behind Pharoah was satan, and that’s how he deals with anyone who finds true salvation. He tightens the rein, holds us back, if he can. But if we’re truly saved, he can do nothing.
Before we’re saved, we think we’re free, but we are really in bondage to our sin nature, to the world, and to our desires. We don’t really make our own decisions. There are sins, large and small, but the Bible doesn’t distinguish. The smallest sin is enough to send us to hell forever, for all have sinned, the Word says:
Romans 3:23 ~ ~ “since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God,”
2 Peter 2:19 Amp~ ~ “They promise them liberty, when they themselves are the slaves of depravity—for by whatever anyone is defeated and overcome, to that [person, thing, philosophy, or concept] he is continually enslaved.” Any habit, thing, activity, place, thought that means more to us than Jesus and His Word, has become a sin.
Besides obvious sins, there are habits, which the Bible doesn’t mention specifically, but that do not give glory to God, and you know you need to stop them. Alone, it can’t be done, but with God it all changes:
Once we make Him our personal Savior and Lord of our lives, submitting to His will and the will of the Father, everything changes. Now…………….
Romans 8:37 Amp~ ~ “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]”
After all, once we’re saved, Jesus lives His life in us—–We are to yield to that life instead of our own.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Would you like to see Jesus doing what you do? Saying what you say? You’re subjecting Him to that if you’re saved and still doing and saying those things.
For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.
John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.”
We didn’t know before we were saved, how much bondage we were in. But once the Son frees us, we can see Him through our spirits, and live in and through Him. Then we can ask ourselves,
“Since Christ lives His life in me and through me now, would I want Him to ………………….” (..like I’ve been doing and saying?)
After all, in Jesus’ prayer to the Father in John 17:11, He asked us to be one with Him just as the Father and He are one! “… that they may be one, as we are one.”
Now, that is something that can change our lives!!!!