WEEKLY DEVOTION – OCTOBER 26, 2020

“Freedom”

So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36

In John’s gospel in the eighteenth chapter, when a dispute occurred regarding the identity and credibility of Jesus Christ, he spoke to the people of the Judaic religious tradition saying, “if you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Jesus promised freedom from legalistic religion and fruitless efforts at earning the favor of God so prevalent in that day and in our own day as people seek justification for their faith statements and practices. It was a useless quest then, and it is a useless quest in today’s world. We learn from this encounter that we cannot earn salvation, nor can we work our way to spiritual fulfillment. It must come from the hand and handiwork of God. This kind of freedom is about an obedient response to God’s love and it is about entering into a vital relationship with God. Then freedom to be one’s self, to accomplish the good goals of our dreams and to fully live in truth and love is ours.

When Jesus pointed out that adherence to religious statements does not guarantee character development, he directly challenged the religious world regarding the possibility of a life of freedom and truthful living. We have a life of freedom in Christ, let us simply receive him and the freedom he gives to live fully.

Let me live in truth and love, Lord, and make me free from bondages of every kind. Amen

– Dumas Alexander Harshaw, Jr.