Who Will Be Made Free?
Good Morning Friends,
Today we continue with a focus on how God saves us and sets the captives free. We look at a Gospel reading about being freed and then also we look at the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. In them we see how God can relieve our fears. And more specifically how with Christ at the door we can be freed. Here we acknowledge that God’s grace is available to us however, sometimes we feel locked up. So today we ask, Who Will Be Made Free?
Scripture: Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill me, because there is no place in you for my word. I declare what I have seen in the Father’s presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father.” They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did, but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are indeed doing what your father does.” They said to him, “We are not illegitimate children; we have one father, God himself.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me.
John 8:31-42 (NRSV)
Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden statue that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter. If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace heated up seven times more than was customary, and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire.
Daniel 3:14-20 (NRSV)
Message: The Gospel message is one of freedom….good news of the release of the slaves from sin…the truth about life…the truth about the mercy of Jesus….the truth about grace. Similarly Daniel brings us a message that God will save us not from the fire but in the fire. Notice that the three men in the story were not intimidated by the issue that confronted them. They faced the reality of a king whose pride was greater than his compassion. They faced also the reality of the power of the divine will of God that could save them from the sentence of death by fire. In both stories martyrdom was preferable to apostasy. In spite of the odds Jesus and the three in the fiery furnace had a faith that God would act but were committed no matter what. This faith that God’s will be done is steadfast regardless of the outcome. And somehow this approach brings victory over the evil in our lives. For many submitting to this truth is difficult. Too few realize that faith’s relationship with grace is the very thing that allows us into the presence of God. And too few recognize that Jesus is the truth is the key to grace. Friends, the relationship between freedom and the truth is the message Jesus brings and we see this same message in the story of the fiery furnace for Jesus was there too. Here Jesus is the sign of truth and grace. Indeed He is the sign that says, we are free indeed. Here in this relationship we discover we have been set free from guilt…free from death and the fear of accusation. Here we discover we have been called to be free. We no longer must live jealous, angry, fearful, hateful and selfish lives. We are free to love and be loved. As a disciple of Christ we become free indeed… unbound and unburdened in the uncommon freedom of His Grace. Some circumstances of life will command that we face the cost and choose whether we will be controlled by the world or face the challenge with confidence. If we are on God’s side, what do we have to fear? So do not compromise faith. Do not conform to the ways of the world. Seek and receive the companionship of Christ in the challenges of life. Be comfortable in the fire. Be released from bondage. Give God the credit. Know that God is in control even in a crisis. Friends, when tested fight with faith.
Pray that we fear only God so that we might not fear anything else. Pray that God’s perfect love would cast out all our earthly fears bringing us freedom from worry…freedom from hopelessness… freedom from a purposeless life…freedom from condemnation…Pray that, as His disciples, we would avoid the deception of the world and be delivered.
Pray for faith strong enough to serve God when we face the fire. Pray we realize we are children of God.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 