Sunday 17 November 2019

Liberty in the Lord

Scripture:  Jeremiah 34 v 8:  "This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;"

We who are in a covenant relationship with the Lord have been set free of slavery of every kind.  We were born slaves to sin, in bondage to the elements of the world and nowhere to go but down.

We were the puppets of an evil puppet master who still tries to jerk our strings, and sometimes hits us when we are vulnerable.  He loses out to the grace of God, who covers our inadvertent lapses.

However, if we keep testing His grace and mercy to attempt to get away with habitual sin, He will react and send a swift reminder to repent or there will be further reminders.  Like those demand letters if we have unpaid bills.  There will also be a Final notice after which we get handed over.

Matthew 18 v 32 - 35: "Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33  Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35  So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."

These are the words of Jesus Christ who is our Advocate before the Father.  We must not be debtors nor sinners, we must call our activity what it is, and if its sin it must stop.  The Lord will make us feel very uncomfortable and uneasy in our conscience about going on with it.

It's like we tell our children when we discipline them, If you do that again you will be sent to your room.  You do not want God to send you to your room.  Do not take this as a challenge.  One man I know hovered on his deathbed for five years until he was released, for continuous undermining of the servants of the Lord.

Acts 5 v 3 - 5: "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 
4  Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5  And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things."

This was an even more drastic event to one who was counted as an Apostle and should be more honest.  Sadly, his wife, Sapphira, made the same lie and died on the spot too.  Not even an opportunity to repent or make right. 

Today we are spoilt.  We take liberties and cling to the world.  We disobey and seem to get away with it.  The clock is ticking and we may have a shorter time than we know.  I have just seen a video of the mark of the beast being injected into someone's hand in South Africa.

Rejoice because our salvation is now much nearer.  Things are speeding up and time is running out.  So do not take liberty for granted.  Make sure all you do is acceptable to the Lord.  He loves you and never wants to lose you.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, how glorious is Your Majesty how beautiful is Your salvation and liberty.  Let us not play with our eternal future but rather be very serious about keeping it and helping the lost to find their way home.  In Jesus' name. Amen.