DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT TUESDAY – SET FREE FROM THE SLAVERY OF SIN.

The divine "scheme of things," as Christianity understands it, is at once extremely elastic and extremely rigid. It is elastic, in that it includes a large measure of liberty for the creature; it is rigid in that it includes the proviso that, however created beings choose to behave, they must accept responsibility of their own actions and endure the consequences. - Dorothy L. Sayer.

But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. - Rom 6:17-18.

Radio personality Paul Harvey tells the story of how an Eskimo kills a wolf. The account is grisly, yet it offers fresh insight into the consuming, self-destructive nature of sin.

"First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of blood, and another, until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood. "Next, the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up.

When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood. He begins to lick faster, more and more vigorously, lapping the blade until the keen edge is bare. Feverishly now, harder and harder the wolf licks the blade in the arctic night.

So great becomes his craving for blood that the wolf does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the naked blade on his own tongue, nor does he recognize the instant at which his insatiable thirst is being satisfied by his OWN warm blood. His carnivorous appetite just craves more--until the dawn finds him dead in the snow!"

It is a fearful thing that people can be "consumed by their own lusts." Only God's grace keeps us from the wolf's fate. - Chris T. Zwingelberg.

In light of what has been happening lately in the evangelical world, and the latest news of another fallen celebrity, I often think of those Christians whose whole purpose in life is to become famous, or rich, or bigger, or better! How sad they must be, to be set free and not to be grateful for it.

Don’t they realise the enormity of this truth that Paul speaks; we were once slaves to sin, but now we are free, and that is something to be grateful for! Thank you Lord that we are now slaves of righteousness, and for that we are eternally grateful!

How foolish to try and exceed that, how foolish to forget we were slaves to sin, how foolish to think that there is something better than being set free, from a life of torment, from a life of darkness, from a life serving Satan! How foolish! They were redeemed from the slavery of sin, and became the servants of righteousness. Hallelujah! That is something to be thankful for!

Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.. - John 8:34-36.

A group of elderly, cultured gentlemen met often to exchange wisdom and drink tea. Each host tried to find the finest and most costly varieties, to create exotic blends that would arouse the admiration of his guests. When the most venerable and respected of the group entertained, he served his tea with unprecedented ceremony, measuring the leaves from a golden box.

The assembled epicures praised this exquisite tea. The host smiled and said, "The tea you have found so delightful is the same tea our peasants drink. I hope it will be a reminder to all that the good things in life are not necessarily the rarest or the most costly. - Morris Mandel.

Normally, at the end of each post, I finish with a prayer, but today I would like to finish this post with the prayers of Peter Marshall, who was born in a town in Scotland, that wasn’t very far from where I was born. He was a wonderful Christian, and a great example of Christ to me...

Lord Jesus, thou who art the way, the truth, and the life; hear us as we pray for the truth that shall make all free. Teach us that liberty is not only to be loved but also to be lived. Liberty is too precious a thing to be buried in books. It costs too much to be hoarded. Help us see that our liberty is not the right to do as we please, but the opportunity to please to do what is right. - Peter Marshall, Before the U.S. Senate.

Be encouraged.
GBYAY