Freedom by the Spirit

Wow! So much to share. When you have your eyes open and try to listen to the Spirit, it is truly amazing what He wants to share with you. Remember, "the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 12:26) He will not only teach me all things, but he will remind me of the word. (But I have to read/study the Word for Him to remind me of it...)



"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (1 Cor. 3:17) When I read and meditate on this scripture I think of all the freedom that needs to occur in my life and in the lives of those around me. There is so much, that it can be over whelming... Things that you or your friends have literally dealt with for years! In the midst of these things that can suffocate at times, we have a beacon of truth that says, "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." What do we do with this scripture?



Well first off, we assume that it's true. No matter if you have to go against human nature, past experiences, or what other people think; scripture is absolute truth. And this scripture is reality.



Now from my personal experiences in life I can attest to this scripture. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom! My question to you is - Is the Spirit of the Lord there? We are bombarded w/ entertainment, literally 24/7. I went to Italy this summer and I was reminded that the US is the media capital of the world, by FAR! The mass majority of entertainment, probably 80% - 90% is from the US. Outside of work and school Americans are involved in nothing but entertainment. Is the Spirit of the Lord in this entertainment? Is He in your school life? Your work?

The question might arise, "How do we get the Spirit in our lives on a consistent basis so that there can be freedom?" You have to make sure that you are in communication & fellowship with Him. And as far as your entertainment... He should be involved! You should be involved with other believers, reading the Word, studying other literature - "to show yourself approved," worship, service projects, or outreach.

I know what your thinking, life doesn't have to look like this all the time but it should look like it often. This is inviting the Holy Spirit into what you're doing. In reality what will begin to happen is that you will begin to stop inviting Him into what you're doing and He will invite you into what He's doing. Which is greater by far! When you are invited into what He is doing it means making a difference in other people's lives, this is something to live for. I'm reminded of the old commercial for the Marines, "If your life were a book, would anyone want to read it?" When you are involved in what He's doing, your life is interesting enough to read about.

I also want to touch on another scripture that is relevant to this one. "God inhabits the praises of His people." Young people who come into the church after "living life" often make comments like, "If I could just stay in worship, I could stop _______," "When I'm in worship I forget all my issues," and "When I'm in worship, I know what I should do with my life." Why is it, that when we are truly in worship we feel this way? Because "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" and "God inhabits the praises of His people." When we are in worship we are free because God is coming down as we praise Him!

Challenge: Next time you are getting frustrated w/ life, feeling like you're tempted beyond what you can bear, or feeling down & out - praise Him. (In spirit and truth - and watch your circumstance change...)