Your Command
I used to think that freedom came from going my own way,
Designing my own rules for life and living for the day.
I thought that I knew best what was right or wrong for me.
I knew just what I wanted and what I thought that I should be.
But, then I realized that this lifestyle was a snare.
Enslaved by sin my choices brought frustration and despair.
The freedom I thought I had was not reality.
Living in the will of God gave peace of mind; tranquility.
His love for us is infinite, much greater than we know,
And in his love, we find the way to prosper, live and grow.
He has a purpose for us, if we will look his way,
And with his Spirit in our lives, it grows stronger every day.
His heart is breaking each time he sees us go astray.
The life that he would have for us so quickly slips away.
And, all that’s left inside is confining emptiness.
True freedom lies in following his path of truth and righteousness.
Give up to him and let him take the lead in your life.
Let go the chains of loneliness, and strife.
Give into what is righteous and true,
And let him be the path of light for you.
Lord, let your will be my command, and let your truth be my stand.
Let anything you say, be everything I do, to be faithful unto you.
Lord, write your Word upon my heart, that from my life, it won’t part.
From the start of each new day, until the day is through,
Let me serve and honor you.
Exodus 20:1-21: The Ten Commandments
Do you remember as a child being told all of the rules that you were to follow by parents, teachers and other adults in your life? Did some of those rules just seem stupid? Did you ever break any of those rules? Did you ever get hurt or lose something because you broke the rules? As children, we didn’t always understand why the adults in our lives made rules. After all, why shouldn’t we run across a busy street? My ball is there and those adults will surely stop! And why can’t we play with fire? It is bright and warm…oh wait…fire burns! Ouch! What if I don’t want to learn to read? In my 5-year- old mind, I see no point, and I really don’t care what Dick and Jane do!
As adults, we understand now why our parents and teachers made some of the rules that they did. We understand that running across a busy street and playing with fire can be dangerous. And we now see how debilitating it would be if we never learned to read. I’m sure most of us can look back now with a better understanding of the rules that were set for us. As adults, we understand the importance of rules to live a happy and healthy life. Or do we?
If we return back to the Israelites from the previous song, we see that once freed from the slavery of Egypt, they began having problems with each other. Because Moses was a man of God, they began taking their complaints to him, so that he could act as a judge in these matters. Day after day they came until Moses was spending the majority of his time settling disputes. Eventually, the problems became so frequent that he had to assign other capable men of Israel to act as “judges” to assist him. Then, God created the first legal manual – the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments were pretty basic and represented what should be common sense. They were accompanied by a host of additional regulations that were designed to teach, protect, and ensure a happy and prosperous life and positive relationships. Yet, in spite of the fact that God handed the people (on a stone platter) the exact recipe for a good life, they fell away.
The Ten Commandments can be summarized in two basic commandments: Love the Lord your God above all other gods (self, money, family, possessions, etc.) such that you put Him first in your life; and love others as yourself. (See Mark 12:29-31) If you do this, all the others fall into place. It seems like common sense, doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, sin is an addiction, and the consequences are painful. Anyone who has ever battled an addiction knows how hard it can be to break. You know in your mind that it is not healthy and that it is destroying your life, but you can’t seem to get away from it. In essence, you are imprisoned by it. Addictions don’t just happen overnight – you have to work at them. It starts with breaking just one of the rules – just because it sounds like fun. From there, it takes on a life of its own – yours. You find yourself adjusting your life around the addiction, passing up things that you would enjoy, hurting those around you, destroying your physical and/or mental health… in short … you now live your life for the sin that is destroying it.
Sin always has consequences. It leads to lost trust, broken homes, destroyed relationships, broken childhoods, job loss, lost opportunities, financial problems, emotional turmoil, depression, stress, illness… the list goes on and on. Sin is pain. That is why God warned us away from it in the first place – not because he wanted to spoil our fun, but because he wanted to protect us from devastation.
What makes it more complicated is that Satan makes sin look good. We live in a society where sin is often glorified. The Bible predicted this would happen.
You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.
2 Timothy 3:1-4
There are many today who believe that somehow God changed his mind and things that he initially said no longer apply. There are a few cases where this is true, but they are specifically mentioned in the Bible. While Jesus fulfilled the law, and as the perfect sacrifice, abolished the need for animal sacrifice, he did not abolish the law itself. In fact, Jesus made the law more stringent. Jesus says this:
“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Matthew 5:17-19
In the following verses, he tells us that not only are you not to murder, but you are not to even be angry with someone or call them an idiot. And not only are you to not commit adultery, but you shouldn’t even look at another person with lust. Why? Because Jesus was concerned about the state of hearts. Sin starts in the heart. An affair never happens without the second look of lust. Further, a bad person can do the right thing for the wrong reasons. Consider a con man who talks sweetly to a person and does wonderful things for them in order to take advantage of them.
The Bible tells us that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He does not change. Ever. He is timeless. He knew the end from the beginning, and nothing happening right now is a surprise to him. As such, the moral standards that were expected in the Bible are still expected today. Isaiah gives a stern warning against those who would attempt to change the standards of the Bible.
What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil,
Isaiah 5:20-21
That dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.
What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever.
But how do we break away from sin if it is an addiction? Breaking away from sin starts with repentance. It starts with going to God, confessing your sin to him, asking for forgiveness, and making the decision to turn away from that sin. That decision has to come from you, as God will not violate our free will. Then, ask God to put his Holy Spirit to work inside of you to drive that sin out of your life once and for all. The Holy Spirit is our secret weapon against sin. He can work changes within us that would be difficult or impossible for us to do on our own. Finally, when you are tempted again, ask God for strength to reject the sin, and then make the conscious decision to say, “No” to that sin. Overcoming bad habits (both large and small) is not easy, but the benefits, both in this life and for eternity, are worth it.
It is one thing to be the one who has sinned and needs forgiveness. It is another thing to be someone who has been wronged. Forgiveness, even when it is not asked for or even deserved, can release us from the bondage of sin in our lives and give us peace from God. “Total Forgiveness,” by R.T. Kendall, is a good resource to learn what forgiveness is, what it isn’t, and what it can do in our lives.
And finally, we can praise God that our sins are forgiven. We no longer have to live with shame and guilt. We are forgiven. Once someone turns their life over to God, he no longer sees their sin; He sees Jesus. Does that mean that we can keep sinning with no consequence? Not at all. Paul says:
Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.
Romans 6:15-18
Since Christ took on every sin on the cross, every sin we continue to commit is heaped on our Savior. We aren’t saved by doing good works, but once we understand the grace we have been given, we should want to avoid heaping more sin on the head of our Savior.
Related Devotional
Resources
“What Are Some of the Effects of Sin on the Life of the Believer?” With Don Stewart: What Are Some of the Effects of Sin on the Life of the Believer?
“The Scars of Sin” with Ray Stedman: The Scars of Sin
“The Man who Rationalizes Sin” with Ray Stedman: The Man who Rationalizes Sin
“The Continuing Struggle” with Ray Stedman: The Continuing Struggle
Music and lyrics by LuAnne Barnet. Copyright (c) 2004 LuAnne Barnet. All Rights Reserved
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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