Daily Devotional

The Real Deal

By Pastor Darius Wise
This week's topic: Freedom In Christ

Everything on earth has an origin. In Genesis 1 God declared that everything He created was good... that was of course until He created Adam (the first man). He said then, "It is not good for man to be alone." So God created Eve (the first woman), and the earth’s first married couple was given free reign at anything in the Garden of Eden to enjoy—everything but the "tree of knowledge of good and evil."

Adam and Eve's decision to disobey God would ultimately affect human history forever. Sin would enter the world and from that point on, every human being would be born into a sinful world that would perpetuate this fatal internal corruption.

The power of evil and darkness would seem to have won, had it not been a part of God’s plan to redeem the world through the death, burial and resurrection of His only Son. It's because of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus bearing every one of our sins on the cross that we experience FREEDOM from the bondage of sin and death.

Wow... Isn't that amazing?

Galatians 5:1 says, "For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage (ASV)."

That word freedom is translated, eleutheria, which means: liberty to do or omit things that have no relationship to salvation.

You see, no longer do we have to be held captive by the fabricated “pain-killers” of life whether pornography, sex, alcohol, drugs of any kind, lying, stealing, cheating, sickness, disease, etc. WE ARE FREE and whom the Son sets FREE is FREE indeed (John 8:36)!

The trick of the enemy is to make Christians and non-believers alike feel as though being a Christian immediately places debilitating limits on what you can do. It's actually the total opposite. True freedom in Christ is living, as we should, not as we please. Trust me, I used to think I needed sex, drugs and other vises to satisfy me, until I surrendered my life to The Real Deal—Jesus. It was then that I truly experienced the kind of freedom that I had so long sought after. The freedom I speak of only comes through the love and saving power of Jesus Christ.

If you're in a place in your life where you're tired of being controlled by money, bad relationships, addictions or sickness and you want authentic FREEDOM, pray this simple prayer with me:

God I believe that your Son Jesus died, was buried and resurrected for my sin. I’ve been submitted to the works of my flesh far too long and today I choose life and freedom in Jesus the Christ. I confess and believe you are LORD of all. Free me from everything that hinders me from my purpose in You, in Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Scripture Of The Day: "For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage." - Galatians 5:1 (ASV)

Darius Wise is a senior executive whose inspirational leadership, humility, executive management and business prowess have served him well within his tenure at New Birth in Lithonia, GA. Wise is the Founder and Lead Pastor of FRESH Church in Denver, CO. Follow him on Twitter @DariusWise or http://www.freshchurchdenver.org.…

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