Living My LIFE in Thanksgiving (With a God-Given Heart for Obedience)

This is one of my favorite devotional books. I am reminded today through this reading that no one can save but Jesus; He saved me because of no merit of my own, and I want to live for Him in sincere thanksgiving without taking advantage of such grace toward me. He fights my battles for me! What a faithful Shepherd. He even gets the credit for my obedience, because He has given me a heart to obey Him, choosing a life close to Him over the fleeting pleasures of sin. (Bold emphasis mine...)

From Look Unto Me (Spurgeon, Reimann) November 25

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners. (Luke 4:18)

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

No one but Jesus can give true liberty to prisoners, for real freedom comes only from Him. It is a freedom righteously bestowed, for the Son who is "heir of all things" (Heb. 1:2) has a right to make men free. Saints then should honor the justice of God that secures their salvation.

It is a freedom that has been dearly purchased. Christ speaks freedom by His power, but He bought it at the great cost of His blood. He makes me free, but it is through His own chains. I go free, because He bore my burden; I have freedom because He suffered in my place.

Though dearly purchased, it is freedom freely given. Jesus asks nothing of me as preparation for this liberty. He finds me sitting in "sackcloth and ashes" (Est. 4:3) and invites me to clothe myself instead in His beautiful garment of freedom. He saves me precisely as I am, all without my help or merit.

When Jesus sets me free the freedom is also eternally done, for no chain can ever shackle me again. Once the Master says to me, "Prisoner, I have freed you," it is done forever. Satan may plot to enslave me but "if God is for [me], who can be against [me]?" (Rom. 8:31)-"Whom shall I fear?" (Ps. 27:1). The world with its temptations may seek to ensnare me, but "greater is he" (1 John 4:4 KJV) who is for me than all those combined who are against me. The scheming of my own deceitful heart may harass and annoy me but "he who began a good work in [me] will carry it on to completion" (Phil. 1:6). The foes of God and the enemies of man may gather their considerable armies together, coming against me with all their powerful fury, but if the Lord acquits, "who is he that condemns?" (Rom. 8:34). Even an eagle that soars to his aerie high atop a rocky cliff, and that then outsoars the clouds, is not more free than a soul whom Christ has freed.

Thus, since I am no longer under the law and am freed from its curse may my freedom be practically exhibited in serving God with gratitude and joy.

"O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains" (Ps. 116:16). "Lord, what do You want me to do?" (Acts 9:6 NKJV).

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

Spurgeon says today that we as saints "should honor the justice of God." The way we do that is by walking in the freedom Christ purchased for us, not allowing ourselves to live like slaves again. We "used to be slaves to sin" (Rom. 6:17) and were condemned by the law "that stood opposed to us" (Col. 2:14), but Paul says now that we are believers, "Sin shall not be your master" (Rom. 6:14). And he gives this warning: "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" (Gal. 5:1). Previously he had said, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us" (Gal. 3:13). Jesus took our sin debt that "stood opposed to us," stamped it PAID IN FULL, and redeemed us by "nailing it to the cross" (Col. 2:14) with His own body. Thus, let us follow his advice:

"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love" (Gal. 5:13).