Encounter FreedomSample

Day 8: Obey

The lie from the devil is that you are not able to stand in obedience and that you will always struggle. And since your struggle will always bring about disobedience and a careless attitude toward following God, you will always be stuck, trapped, and in a spiritual prison. Again, this is a lie!

In Romans chapter 6, the apostle Paul told the church in Rome that because they put their faith in Jesus, they no longer had to live under the enslavement of sin. The same goes for you. The sin that once held you captive was crucified and was buried with Jesus because He bore all sin on the cross.

Romans 6:7 says that the penalty and power of sin is dead; you have been set free (past tense). Romans 6:18 says, “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” You are free to obey God! You have the authority and ability to follow Jesus with all of your heart and to live in the righteousness of Christ. You are already righteous in Christ, so you can now live out of who you are!

The lie says that you are not free, but the truth says you are. The lie says that you are still a slave to sin and disobedience, but the truth says that you are now free to obey God with that same submission to His authority. You once submitted to sin, you’ve chosen to now submit to God. The fruit that comes from your life is now holiness, because you have been set free (Romans 6:22). The Holy Spirit passionately proclaims to you to consider your old self dead to sin, but alive in Christ (Romans 6:11). God says that you have the right to reject disobedience because it is no longer part of your new nature. Christ is in you; do not allow sin to reign in you because

Jesus now reigns in you (Romans 6:12). Your freedom is connected to your obedience, and your obedience is directly related to you knowing and living out the truth that you have already been set free.

Reject the lie that you are not free. Accept the truth that you are free because Jesus is in you (Galatians 2:20). Now walk in that freedom. You are free to obey, and as you obey, you will continue to be free!