ICS Daily Devotions
The Perfect Law of Liberty
James 1:25 (NKJV) But he who looks into the perfect law of LIBERTY and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
The secret to victorious Christian living is found in the beginning of this verse: we have the liberty to live out what the law requires of us because of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. God is the one who crafted the law. Therefore, it is perfect. It was given and revealed by Him.
Romans 6:18,22 (NKJV) And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness… But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
We are freed from the bondage and slavery of sin now because Jesus has fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law for us. The new creation enables us to walk in righteousness with absolute freedom! The law of sin has no longer power over our lives. Our status has changed completely in Christ.
Imagine that a common person marries into royalty. There will be a lot of difference in terms of how one will carry himself or herself in that new situation. There will be some major adjustments in lifestyle for such a person. This person will need to quickly make adjustments to his or her behavior. There are different protocols to be observed and the commoner’s life will never be the same again. There would certainly be a few teachers and trainers in the palace who would teach the new member of the royal family how to carry herself in public and private life. The person’s life will be turned around significantly. Now imagine that you as a Christian have been accepted into the Highest Royal Family in the entire Universe. We have become the children of the King of kings!
Isn’t it some wonderful news from the Scriptures that affirmed and made known our freedom from the bondage and slavery to sin? You and I have a different status because we have been set free from slavery of sin and have become the slave of righteousness and able to produce the fruit of holiness! We are the King’s children, and therefore, we are able to live very differently now. You belong to a heavenly royalty. The Bible says that we are to confess what we believe, be actively living out the godliness and good works that bring our faith into perfection. The law doesn’t enslave us to the bondage of legalism but rather frees us to keep its precepts by an inward compulsion.
Romans 8:1-4 (NKJV) There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
There is, therefore, no more condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because the flesh and the sin nature no longer dominate our lives. We have been set free from sin and its bondage! We have no past, history of all our wrongdoings nor a record of all our sins because all of it has been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ. He remembers our sins and lawless deeds no more! He has completely removed and wipe clean all our records! No more condemnation! We are no longer debtors to the flesh neither should we continue to be dictated by the sin nature. It has been made possible for us to live according to the perfect law of liberty.
Sermon series: Active Faith
