K-LOVE's Verse of the Day for Aug 12, 2023

True Freedom in Christ

Read the transcript from today's video devotional.

I remember I was playing basketball on a Saturday, and my buddy came up to me after, and I got a chance to talk to him about what it means to be a Christian. And he says, "Well, if I commit to being a Christian, can I still do whatever I want? Like, can I still be free?"

It was that day that I understood that Christianity is often viewed kind of like an enemy to freedom, because there's so many commands in the Bible. A lot of people don't understand that the commands of God are for our good. After that conversation with my buddy, I asked myself, "What does true freedom look like?" Because I want to live a life of freedom.

Understanding Freedom Through Restrictions

Let's take, for example, health. I want to live a healthy lifestyle but I love donuts. If it was up to me, I'd eat a donut every single morning, but I know that's not the wise thing to do. When I give up eating a donut in the morning, I actually gain better health.

Freedom actually comes down to understanding what restrictions we need to place on our lives. Take, for example, my marriage. I want to play basketball seven days a week, but I can't because I want a good marriage. By me giving up basketball, I gain a good marriage.

The Cost and Reward

Let's take our relationship with the Lord. What does freedom look like in our walk with the Lord? First, let me just say this: freedom is pricey. Freedom will cost us. If you and I want a close relationship with the Lord, there's some stuff that we're going to have to give up. Sometimes it's sleep. Sometimes it's friendships. By sacrificing one freedom, you and I actually gain a higher freedom. Which is what? A relationship with Jesus Christ.

A Personal Journey

Let me make it a little bit more personal. Growing up for me, my Kryptonite was never drugs. It was never alcohol. My Kryptonite was always pornography. I remember when I was on this journey of freedom and I would ask my mentor, "Is there hope for me to become free from this thing? Because I feel like it's got a stronghold on my life." I had accountability, people checking in on me, and I went to counseling. What is it that ultimately set me free? It was this: it was abiding in Jesus Christ. It was filling my life with the things of God. It wasn't trying harder. It was me filling my life with the things of God - with the Bible, with prayer, going to small groups even when I didn't feel like it at all, and confessing to my mentor.

Freedom was messy. And I know we like to think that freedom is just this uphill - it's kind of like an elevator. You just go up and that's it, and you're free, and we're done. No, freedom is very messy.

The Path to True Freedom

My encouragement to each and every listener is to fill your life with the things of God. Fall in love with the Lord. Focus on loving Jesus. And ultimately, it's a love for the Lord that will drive out that addiction. When I'm so full of the things of God, pornography is no longer going to have room in my life.

Hear what the writer says in John chapter 8 and verse 36: "So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free."

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True Freedom in Christ

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So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord .

Serve only the Lord your God and fear Him alone. Obey His commands, listen to His voice, and cling to Him.

O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways.

The Lord is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him.

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again— my Savior and my God!

Before the mountains were born, before You gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, You are God.

Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name.

For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

“So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other.

Sing to the LORD; praise His name. Each day proclaim the good news that He saves.

LORD, there is no one like You! For You are great, and Your name is full of power.

For you are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God.

Let all that I am praise the LORD. O LORD my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and majesty.

May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

For who is God except the LORD? Who but our God is a solid rock?

I am counting on the LORD; yes, I am counting on Him. I have put my hope in His word.

I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws.

The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die.

The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to Him and are safe.

My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

The LORD is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for Him.

I long to obey Your commandments! Renew my life with Your goodness.

We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield.

The LORD will work out His plans for my life— for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for You made me.

I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit.

Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens. You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare with You, O God?

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Yes, You have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb You have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising You!

God’s voice is glorious in the thunder. We can’t even imagine the greatness of His power.

How sweet Your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.

Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.

Let me live forever in Your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of Your wings!

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.

May the Lord show you His favor and give you His peace.’

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

By His death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.

Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

The LORD is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all His creation.

He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen. Come, see where His body was lying.

Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow Me."

“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd sacrifices His life for the sheep.

The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone.

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else?

Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said: “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt.”

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by His great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation.

He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By His wounds you are healed.

The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of our God stands forever.”

And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.

May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ —for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

For it is My Father’s will that all who see His Son and believe in Him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”