To consistently choose what is right does not come naturally to us. We need help, the help of the Spirit!

As we continue our study on what it means to be free in Christ, we look at our combined key verses,

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. John 8:31, 34

So far, we have discovered that,

1. Our chains of bondage to sin have been broken!
2. We have been given access to the throne of God!
3. We can talk to God anytime!

Today, we investigate the mechanics of our freedom in Christ: We are free to choose right.

¹⁹ I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life… Deuteronomy 30:19

⁹ Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Romans 12:9

²¹ but test everything; hold fast what is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21

² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2

How do we learn to consistently choose right when the lure, the deceit, and our ingrained subroutines are too strong for us? Without the Spirit in us and a good, healthy relationship going on with the Lord, we would be overwhelmed, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord…” Romans 7:24, 25). This is our training. Among other things, God even uses our sin to train us in righteousness as He opens our eyes to what is good and pleasing and perfect. We learn just how destructive sin is, not only to ourselves, but also how it destroys our relationship to others. Learning to live righteous and godly lives by the power of the Spirit is what transforms us into His image. We are becoming holy! This process will be completed as we step across the barrier of death and Jesus presents us to Himself as His radiant bride, blameless, without fault, and holy (Ephesians 5:26-27).

Abba, You are making us to be like Jesus! We trust You to walk with us each day and we look forward to the day when we step across that threshold of death into the New Life where we are radiant, blameless, without fault or wrinkle, and holy before You, Lord Jesus. We know that it will give You great pleasure (Jude 24). May we be teachable children, Abba, choosing life and holding fast to what is good. Amen.