Dear Ones:
When Joseph was sold as a slave to Egyptians, it was written of him, “…whose feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in iron.” (Ps. 105:18) There is no doubt that the psalmist was referring to physical fetters and iron. But what of fetters and shackles of the mind? What of bonds that tie us down, and bring us into slavery, a slavery of the heart and mind? The Bible declares that the Lord Jesus came to “…set the captive free.” And that, using the TRUTH, God sets the heart and mind free.
In reading Matthew 7:13-14, we read of a “strait gate,” and “narrow way,” as opposed to the “wide gate,” and the “broad way.” One leads to life, and the other to death. What is the Lord Jesus speaking about here? It is not only that He IS that way, but that the way is according to his Word, the truth. There is NO way to know God except by the truth. And there is certainly no way to be delivered from the bondage of lies and deception, except by the truth of the Word of God. If we have not made the Word of God to be the dominant factor in determining how we will live and think, then we are swimming in the broad river of all the philosophies and concepts of men, whose thoughts will pass away, and with them, the false “hopes” in the face of eternity. We are thus, living in bondage to a series of lies.
In the book of Proverbs, we read, “…as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” We are what we think. If I fill my mind with that which is of men, and not of God, I will BE what I think. The contrary is true…if I “mind” heavenly things, and “have this mind in us(me) which was IN Christ Jesus,” I will be, we will be, living in the eternal certainty that my feet are indeed planted upon the Rock of All Ages. To not give oneself to the study, and meditation of the Word of God (in the measure that it is possible…), is to court the possibility of being conformed to this world in its thinking and perception.
In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he begins by writing, “…I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.” (1:6) What had happened here? The Galatians had come to a knowledge of the truth, and an experience of the living Christ. But then, false concepts and ideas crept in through the teaching of certain “religious” preachers and teachers. In laying aside the truth, and beginning to believe that which was NOT the truth, the blessing of God, and the moving of the Spirit, was hindered. God does NOT bless that which is not true. He is NO respecter of persons in this manner. Paul will take great pains to bring again before the eyes of the Galatian Christians the truths of the Gospel, the very basis of the blessing and moving of the Spirit. After all, if the Spirit of God is not in it, it is worthless. It is only where the Spirit IS, and has free reign according to the truth, that there is true LIBERTY.
“Brethren…ye have been called unto liberty…Walk in the Spirit…” He goes on to say that, “…If ye be LED of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” (5:18) His point is simple. If we are living according to the truth, walking by the Spirit, being led by Him, then we know the liberty to which God has called us. It is then that we are FREE to love God, and our fellow man.
So, today, may we live in this liberty, by adhering to the Word of God in all things, knowing that God is faithful to honor His Word, and those who honor His word. He is faithful to empower us by the Spirit to live it. We are called to a liberty of mind, heart, soul, as well as body. May we live it, and love by faith.
Love, Dad