Nov 4, 2008 IOW
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Cor 3:17 NKJV
At last Election Day has arrived once more in the United States. It’s time to waddle on down to the local election center to cast our vote. Living in a state that votes by mail my vote has already been cast so I can think of other things on this day in history……….. hummmmm let me see, why not think about voting! Voting? I thought you said you already did, why think about it when you don’t have to. Perhaps if we thought about it more we would take this task we’ve been given to steward more serious.
Voting has been a freedom or liberty we have enjoyed for many years thanks to those ahead of us that worked hard to give us this privilege. “Enjoy? Did I hear you use the word enjoy? What do you mean enjoy, it’s a pain to go and cast my vote, nothing is convenient about it, I have better things to do than waste my time voting, my vote doesn’t make a difference anyway, why vote when they don’t listen to what we say as the courts may change what we voted for anyway.”
Any of these excuses sound familiar? They do to me, in fact a time or two I’ve used one of them myself. The excuse of why vote when “they” will change what we voted for anyway. Truth or not it doesn’t warrant the use of an excuse to get out of what we need to do. As Lyndon B Johnson said once, “The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.”
We must never forget the power of being able to vote for certain laws, issues, and elected officials. In our Christian lives we have been given the privilege of a freedom or liberty as well. The freedom from sin in appreciation to the one who has gone before us, Jesus Christ. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Gal 5:1 (NKJV). Plain and simple, thanks to the Lord those who believe in Jesus and His worthy cause at the cross now enjoy the freedom from the bondage of sin.
“Ooooo there you go again using that word “enjoy!” I kind of enjoy my ability to sin, to do as I please whenever I please after all its my body, my life, my choice to do what I want. Christianity is a type of imprisonment not a freedom thing. I have better things to do with my life here on earth than to waste it being a Christian. It’s too difficult to try and be good all the time so why bother my flesh will override what my spirit wants to do anyway it even says so right in the Bible. “
Sadly enough these excuses we just read sound even more familiar than the ones about voting. As our scripture today puts it, where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty, Praise the Lord. Liberty or freedom from what sin can do to us if we allow it. Often without even realizing what is going on we turn our freedom over to the one Christ died to defeat, Satan himself. Handing over to Satan “our vote, our will, our freedom.” Then when things go wrong we wonder what in the world happened.
What generally happens is we miss use the freedom we have, we take for granted the privilege of voting as well as the honor of being freed from the entanglement of sin itself. There comes a time when we all need to make up our minds what we will never put up for a vote. Things such as our physical and spiritual health, our attitude, our half of the relationships we are in, our families, finances, attitudes, service to God, morals, and many other things. Best place to start is to pick the top 5 and stand your ground against Satan by never compromising in these areas as if they were up for some kind of a vote.
It’s not an easy task as the flesh does like to take over once in awhile but its something we can do if we just make up our mind to do it. Setting aside whatever it takes to accomplish the goals we have set out before us, taking away Satan’s option of choosing for us where we couldn’t make up our own minds. Making it clear to him as well as ourselves what is NOT up for a vote.
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Cor 3:17 NKJV
At last Election Day has arrived once more in the United States. It’s time to waddle on down to the local election center to cast our vote. Living in a state that votes by mail my vote has already been cast so I can think of other things on this day in history……….. hummmmm let me see, why not think about voting! Voting? I thought you said you already did, why think about it when you don’t have to. Perhaps if we thought about it more we would take this task we’ve been given to steward more serious.
Voting has been a freedom or liberty we have enjoyed for many years thanks to those ahead of us that worked hard to give us this privilege. “Enjoy? Did I hear you use the word enjoy? What do you mean enjoy, it’s a pain to go and cast my vote, nothing is convenient about it, I have better things to do than waste my time voting, my vote doesn’t make a difference anyway, why vote when they don’t listen to what we say as the courts may change what we voted for anyway.”
Any of these excuses sound familiar? They do to me, in fact a time or two I’ve used one of them myself. The excuse of why vote when “they” will change what we voted for anyway. Truth or not it doesn’t warrant the use of an excuse to get out of what we need to do. As Lyndon B Johnson said once, “The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.”
We must never forget the power of being able to vote for certain laws, issues, and elected officials. In our Christian lives we have been given the privilege of a freedom or liberty as well. The freedom from sin in appreciation to the one who has gone before us, Jesus Christ. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Gal 5:1 (NKJV). Plain and simple, thanks to the Lord those who believe in Jesus and His worthy cause at the cross now enjoy the freedom from the bondage of sin.
“Ooooo there you go again using that word “enjoy!” I kind of enjoy my ability to sin, to do as I please whenever I please after all its my body, my life, my choice to do what I want. Christianity is a type of imprisonment not a freedom thing. I have better things to do with my life here on earth than to waste it being a Christian. It’s too difficult to try and be good all the time so why bother my flesh will override what my spirit wants to do anyway it even says so right in the Bible. “
Sadly enough these excuses we just read sound even more familiar than the ones about voting. As our scripture today puts it, where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty, Praise the Lord. Liberty or freedom from what sin can do to us if we allow it. Often without even realizing what is going on we turn our freedom over to the one Christ died to defeat, Satan himself. Handing over to Satan “our vote, our will, our freedom.” Then when things go wrong we wonder what in the world happened.
What generally happens is we miss use the freedom we have, we take for granted the privilege of voting as well as the honor of being freed from the entanglement of sin itself. There comes a time when we all need to make up our minds what we will never put up for a vote. Things such as our physical and spiritual health, our attitude, our half of the relationships we are in, our families, finances, attitudes, service to God, morals, and many other things. Best place to start is to pick the top 5 and stand your ground against Satan by never compromising in these areas as if they were up for some kind of a vote.
It’s not an easy task as the flesh does like to take over once in awhile but its something we can do if we just make up our mind to do it. Setting aside whatever it takes to accomplish the goals we have set out before us, taking away Satan’s option of choosing for us where we couldn’t make up our own minds. Making it clear to him as well as ourselves what is NOT up for a vote.
My vote goes to Jesus where true everlasting liberty lies!
Copyright 2008 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing
11 comments:
Great post! Thanks so much for hosting this week and for a great verse! Steve and I are going to vote first thing in the morning. We are praying God's will be done and there will be no compromising! Thanks for a wonderfully inspiring post on this topic!
Great post and a great Scripture for today. Bless you!
I really enjoyed reading your take on the scripture for today. :)
Great take on this verse.
Karen,
Thanks for hosting IOW today. As simple as the scripture "seemed" as I read the whole passage I felt a little lost. Wow, there really is a lot to it isn't there? I think my daughter had a better take than I did (she joined us today!), but I definitely appreciated being reminded that we are made free through Jesus Christ! I'm so thankful we are no longer under the law and stuck in our guilt. Yes, we are still guilty, but knowing that we are covered ONCE and For ALL by the blood of Jesus is a true blessing!
Have a great day Karen.
Lynnette
Great reminders! Thanks for taking a firm stand!
I'm a little confused...where's Mr. Linky?
Should we leave our links here in the comments?
Good Insights on the verse. I'm with Lynette... confusing verse in context and I went a different direction because -- frankly -- I'm so tired of talk of the Election. I am praying though - for a fair outcome. . . whatever that is
:-)
Thanks for picking a great verse for today. You point out something important when you say we misuse the freedom we have in Jesus in the same way we misuse the other freedoms we enjoy. Thanks for another great post.
AVA
I really enjoyed reading your take on the verse and was glad to be able to join in on IOW on a week when there was such a great passage to write about! :)
IN His arms,
--Abigail
Thank you so much for hosting & sharing today. I appreciate the verse you chose and indeed, the whole chapter fits in so well today. Thank you for your insights.
I did not find Mr. Linky! He disappeared completely?!?!?!
Amen Sister, this was so good!!
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