Ref: James 4:1-12
(www.biblegateway.com)
Establishing our Freedom in Christ.
Today's daily discipler reading is so important to the individual believers life (including mine) that I am posting it in a few places to maximise the impact of the message.
James 4:1-12 States the Problem - Pride and worldliness, and counters with the solution, Humility and dependence on God. The Key verse is James 4:6-7
"But He gives more grace. Therefore He says...
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble
THEREFORE - submit to God, Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners and purify your hearts you double minded....."
Dr Anderson points out that there are 7 steps to freedom, that if we follow them through, help us to be completely humble and cleansed, and dependant on God for HIS GRACE.
These Steps to Freedom are powerfully useful for personal cleansing and right relationship with God. I have prayed through them myself this morning, and had a whole list of "business" to do with God, over my constant sinful failure. Repentance is the starting place. The early church had a practise of Prayer and Renouncing - out loud, declaring to God, and to his enemies, their position was in Christ. Perhaps you would like to pray through these steps also. They are:
1. Occult - Lev 20:6 God will cut off his people when they consult mediums and spiritists. Whilst we don't necessarily go down to the local "medium" and request a consultation with the dead, many (myself included) have given tacit consent to the Occult through viewing or allowing spiritual aspects to enter our entertainment through the T.V. I have to confess that I have seen some shows that glorify or give ground to Satan, spirits and demons on television and in movies that I may excuse away as entertainment. Entertainment is something I am actively participating in, and therefore, giving my approval of. God has challenged me again to "Turn It Off"
2. Flesh - James points out that Worldliness and the Flesh pull us away from God, whether it be Materialism, Food, Lust or other fleshly desires, The finished work of Christ is our defence. Confess anywhere that the Flesh has drawn you away from God, and put self ahead of Christ.
3. Forgive - 2 Cor 2:10-11 reminds us that an unwillingness to forgive will bind us and stop our progress with God. We are to forgive, as God in Christ has Forgiven us.
4. Humility - James:4-6 reminds us that pride is the barrier that God resists. Pride is our confidence in Self, rather than in Him.
5. Authority - God has placed all kinds of authority over us, Home, work, government, church, and we often respond with the phrase "Who do they think they are ? " well, we are to be submissive to governing authorities, they are appointed by God.
6. Confess - All known sin - unconfessed sin keeps us from direct intimate relationship with Jesus.
7. Sins and Iniquities of our Ancestors - This is a tough one. Even when we were unknowingly included in the sin, through past family generations, it can have an impact on us. We are to confess and renounce that which may have been passed on from generations past.
If you are eagerly desiring freedom from bondage to sin, there is a more extensive outline of this process in Neil Anderson's "Steps to Freedom In Christ' outlining a Biblical journey of repentance and confession.
May you and I live in Humility and Dependance on Jesus.
Pastor J
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