OUR DAILY BREAD: CELEBRATE FREEDOM

[cimi]

July 4
Wednesday


CELEBRATE FREEDOM

READ:
Romans 6:15-23
_____________________________________

The law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus has
made me free from the
law of sin and death.
__Romans 8:2
______________________________________

After being kidnapped, held hostage for 13 days, and released, New zealand news cameraman Olaf Wiig, with a broad smile on his face, announced, "I feel more alive now than I have in my entire life."

For reasons difficult to understand, being freed is more exhilarating than being free.

For those who enjoy freedom every day, Olaf's joy was a good reminder of how easily we forget how blessed we are. This is also true spiritually. Those of us who have been Christians for a long time often forget what it's like to be held hostage by sin. We can become complacent and even ungrateful. But then God sends a reminder in the form of a new believer who gives an exuberant testimony of what God has done in his or her life, and once again we see the joy that is ours when we are "free from the law of sin and death" (Rom.8:2).

If freedom has become boring to you, or if you tend to focus on what you can't do, consider this: Not only are you no longer a slave to sin, but you are freed to be holy and to enjoy eternal life with Christ Jesus! (6:22).

Celebrate your freedom in Christ by taking the time to thank God for the things you are able and free to do as His servant. __Julie Ackerman Link
____________________________________________________________

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The sinful flesh in which we dwell~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Makes living righteously~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Impossible without the Lord,~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~who died to set us free. __sper~~~~~~~~~~
____________________________________________________________

***************Today's Bible Reading __Romans 6:15-23***********

15 what then? Shall we
sin because we are not
under law but under grace?
Certainly not! 16 Do you
not know that to whom you
present yourselves slaves
to obey, you are that one's
slaves whom you obey,
whether of sin leading
to death, or of obedience
leading to righteousness?
17 But God be thanked that
though you were slaves
of sin, yet you obeyed
from the heart that form
of doctrine to which you
were delivered. 18 And
having been set free from
sin, you became slaves of
righteousness.

19 I speak in human terms
because of the weakness of
your flesh. For just as you
presented your members
as slaves of uncleanness,
and of lawlessness leading
to more lawlessness, so
now present your members
as slaves of righteousness
for holiness. 20 For when
you were slaves of sin,
you were free in regard to
righteousness. 21 What fruit
did you have then in the
things of which you are
now ashamed? For the end
of those things is death.

22 But now having been set
free from sin, and having
become slaves of God, you
have your fruit to holiness,
and the end, everlasting life.

23 For the wages of sin is
death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus
our Lord.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In today's Bible reading, it is interesting to note how many times
Paul uses the imagery of slavery. We see this in verses 16-20 and 22
This is strong imagery to be sure, given that Rome (the destination of
this letter) and the Roman empire were built on the backs of slaves.
It is believed that over 50 percent of the population of the empire
consited of slaves. __WEC

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY EVERYONE! We are free indeed!!