The Cause of Freedom
In war, all things being equal, the army that is able to secure its supply lines is going to win. The army that is able to cut-off the other side from its supply lines is going to win. In war, armies have to be able to re-arm and re-fuel. If they can't do so, they'll lose.
For followers of Jesus, the war is won. Jesus has definitively won the war on our behalf. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus defeated sin, death, darkness, and the devil. However, despite the war having been won, we still face lingering battles this side of heaven.
Each day we face spiritual battles. On the battlefield of our heart two armies have filed into ranks. One army is safeguarding our enjoyment of the freedom we have in Christ and the other is trying to disrupt our enjoyment of that freedom. And in these daily battles we have a large say in which army advances. We get to choose which army we're going to supply and which one we're going to cut-off.
When we spend time in God's Word, we supply the cause of freedom. When we neglect Scripture, we are by default strengthening the army that wishes to wreak havoc on our spiritual freedom. I say "by default" because the world is constantly streaming its content into our heart trying to supply that part in us that is sinful, selfish, and worldly. What we have to do is to pre-load (and daily re-load) biblical content into our heart. In doing so we strengthen the cause of freedom and weaken the army that seeks to undermine our freedom in Christ.
Many Christians struggle to spend sufficient time in God's Word, and thus they struggle to enjoy their freedom in Christ. They miss out on much (if not all) of the peace, hope, and joy that has been made available to them through the gospel. The miss out on the very nearness of God in their daily lives.
Followers of Jesus read the Bible not for the sake of reading but for the sake of experiencing the nearness of God in their lives. The point of employing the spiritual discipline of Bible reading and meditation isn't to mechanically check it off as part of our day, but rather to employ as a means to seek the Lord. That's freedom! Spiritual freedom is found in closeness to God. That is where peace, hope, and joy are found. That's the cause we fight for when we spend time in God's Word.
Here are a few practical suggestions for how to help make the Bible a regular and consistent part of your life:
Don't miss out on enjoying a life of freedom in Christ. It begins first by embracing the gospel, repenting of sin, and succumbing to the lordship of Jesus. Once we have received God's grace through our faith in the person and work of Jesus, then we begin employing the spiritual discipline of Bible reading. It's how we re-fuel and re-arm to safeguard your enjoyment of the freedom that Christ has won for you. Make this a priority and begin experiencing freedom more and more in your daily life.
For followers of Jesus, the war is won. Jesus has definitively won the war on our behalf. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus defeated sin, death, darkness, and the devil. However, despite the war having been won, we still face lingering battles this side of heaven.
Each day we face spiritual battles. On the battlefield of our heart two armies have filed into ranks. One army is safeguarding our enjoyment of the freedom we have in Christ and the other is trying to disrupt our enjoyment of that freedom. And in these daily battles we have a large say in which army advances. We get to choose which army we're going to supply and which one we're going to cut-off.
When we spend time in God's Word, we supply the cause of freedom. When we neglect Scripture, we are by default strengthening the army that wishes to wreak havoc on our spiritual freedom. I say "by default" because the world is constantly streaming its content into our heart trying to supply that part in us that is sinful, selfish, and worldly. What we have to do is to pre-load (and daily re-load) biblical content into our heart. In doing so we strengthen the cause of freedom and weaken the army that seeks to undermine our freedom in Christ.
Many Christians struggle to spend sufficient time in God's Word, and thus they struggle to enjoy their freedom in Christ. They miss out on much (if not all) of the peace, hope, and joy that has been made available to them through the gospel. The miss out on the very nearness of God in their daily lives.
Followers of Jesus read the Bible not for the sake of reading but for the sake of experiencing the nearness of God in their lives. The point of employing the spiritual discipline of Bible reading and meditation isn't to mechanically check it off as part of our day, but rather to employ as a means to seek the Lord. That's freedom! Spiritual freedom is found in closeness to God. That is where peace, hope, and joy are found. That's the cause we fight for when we spend time in God's Word.
Here are a few practical suggestions for how to help make the Bible a regular and consistent part of your life:
- Schedule Time - We're way more likely to do something if we plan for it. Put it in your calendar.
- Have a Plan - Don't simply bounce around the Bible from day to day, but have a plan for what you'll be reading. The Bible is easier to follow if we read it in a certain order. There's no one way to read the Bible, but if you've never done so you may not know how to go about it. Click Here to go to a website that will offer different Bible reading plans. Choose the one that works best for you.
- Accountability - Have someone hold you accountable to your commitment to read the Bible. Give permission to another to ask you if you're spending time in God's Word.
- Join an A-Team - Be part of a small group Bible study. At Anthem Church we call them A-Teams. God made us relational beings, and part of that means that we learn best when alongside other believers. To sign-up for an A-Team or for more information, please send an email to info@anthem-church.org.
- Music & Podcasts - Listen to Christian music and sermons. These are great ways of adding biblical content while at home, at work, or in the car. But be careful! Not all so-called Christian music or sermons are biblical.
Don't miss out on enjoying a life of freedom in Christ. It begins first by embracing the gospel, repenting of sin, and succumbing to the lordship of Jesus. Once we have received God's grace through our faith in the person and work of Jesus, then we begin employing the spiritual discipline of Bible reading. It's how we re-fuel and re-arm to safeguard your enjoyment of the freedom that Christ has won for you. Make this a priority and begin experiencing freedom more and more in your daily life.
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