(reworked from 2011)
SCRIPTURE: Galatians (NIV) 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
OBSERVATION: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” What love is seen in the Father’s sending Jesus to give His life to redeem the lost creation. Jesus came to do the Father’s will. What love is seen in Jesus for His Father that he would be willing to carry out the Father’s will! He prayed, “Not my will but thine be done!” The choices of the Father and the Son prove their love. The Father was not forced to send His son. The Son was not forced to do the Father’s will. The motivation for these choices was love!
That is why our freedom is so important to God; He wants us to love Him because that is our choice. Love is expressed through our choices. If there is no choice, it is not an expression of love. Some choices can lead to bondage when what begins as a choice becomes the master. It is our responsibility to make choices that protect our freedom.
APPLICATION: Making choices to serve and please my wife is a major way of saying, “I love you,” especially when it is not what I would personally like to do. The same is true with God. I choose to serve God because I love Him and am convinced that He is worthy of my devotion. I must remember: the greater the sacrifice, the greater the expression of love. My choices are the proof of who I love and how much I love.
PRAYER: Lord, what can I do today to please you? Amen.
Pastor Leon
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