Celebrate Liberty!
GOOD MORNING!
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 2 Corinthians 3:17
For many citizens, liberty is as cherished as life itself, prompting the American revolutionary Patrick Henry to declare, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” The apostle Paul said, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." He was likely drawing a connection to Jesus Christ’s words at the start of His ministry when He opened the scroll of Isaiah and read this: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD” [Luke 4:18-19; Isaiah 6:1-2]. Jesus came to set us free spiritually. To the children of God, Christ says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” [John 8:36]. When a person receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the Spirit of the Lord takes up residence in that individual [Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 3:18]. Believers are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit [Ephesians 1:13-14] and made alive by the Holy Spirit [2 Corinthians 3:3, 6]. In Jesus Christ, believers are set free from the guilt, influence, and punishment of sin [Romans 8:1-6].
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is the liberty to deny the flesh and our own selfish desires for the purpose of obeying God, pleasing Him, and bringing glory to His name [Romans 6:16-18; I Corinthians 7:22-23].
I'm so grateful for the liberty we have in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! The apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, penned, "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another" [Galatians 5:13]. Let's celebrate our freedom through love - by serving God and serving one another!
Much love and care, Pastor Pat
GREECE ASSEMBLY OF GOD