Corona Devo 1359

Ever join a friend (or foe) on a teeter-totter?  One mate is planted on the ground (stable), while the other is thrust-up in the sky, dangling.  And then the ground-based person pushes up and away and the air-borne person crashes down to the ground to sit for a moment.  

Then the groundling pushes-off and it starts all over again.  It's fun, but it's a lot of up-and-down.

Our daily wrestling with living in the Spirit and getting tied up again in slavery to the law is the same up and down.

When we are living in the Spirit: in-tune with Christ and the freedom/mood/spirit/awareness-of-serving-Him and serving others in his Name--then we are living and receiving by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. 

I'm not sure if that is being "up" on the teeter-totter: flying free and high for the Lord, or being "grounded" and stable in Him on the ground--but living in the Spirit is the goal.  It's the best, and it is freedom from slavery to the law.

But often, and inevitably, we (somehow) get tied up again in slavery to the law, and we crash-back-down on the faith teeter-totter in trying to "do the right things", "earn grace", and "be" a good Christ-follower.  Or (opposite positioning), we dangle helplessly at the top of the teeter-totter-of-faith stranded in ourselves once again.

Faith is such a teeter-totter journey, isn't it?  We are up and then we are down.

But we can only count on Christ to make us right with God---not circumcision or any other duty or deed that we perform, thinking it will cleanse us enough to come before our Holy God.   

Don't get tied up again today.  We can't make ourselves right with God, but Jesus already has!  

~~~

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.  

(2) Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. (3) I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. (4) For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.  

(5) But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. (6) For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.  ~Galatians 5:1-5

Faith is such a teeter-totter journey, isn't it?  We are up and then we are down.

(7) You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? (8) It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. (9) This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! (10) I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you...  ~Galatians 5:7-10

Faith is such a teeter-totter journey, isn't it?  We are up and then we are down.

(13) For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. (14) For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (15) But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.  ~Galatians 5:13-15

Faith is such a teeter-totter journey, isn't it?  We are up and then we are down.

(16) So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. (17) The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. (18) But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.  ~Galatians 5:1-16-18

Faith is such a teeter-totter journey, isn't it?  We are up and then we are down.

(19) When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, (20) idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, (21) envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.  ~Galatians 5:1-19-21

Faith is such a teeter-totter journey, isn't it?  We are up and then we are down.

(22) But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!  

(24) Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. (25) Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. (26) Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.  ~Galatians 5:22-26

Faith---it's a teeter-totter of ups and downs as we abandon the "Laws" of religion to embrace the freedom of Jesus, who abolished the Law for us.

It's a teeter-totter of following the desires of our sinful nature verses the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in us...

Let's not get tied up again today.  We can't make ourselves right with God, but Jesus already has!  When we believe in God and accept His Son (Jesus) into our hearts, we are set free.

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com