Title

Captivity or Freedom?

Scripture
All Israel was recorded . . . and . . . inscribed in the book . . . but Judah was carried away captive.
(1 Chronicles 9:1)
Devotional
Both Israel and Judah were the descendants of Jacob and heirs of the laws and statutes of God. What was the difference? In a word, the difference was “obedience.” God has not changed. He remains the same. Those who obey are recorded and those who do not are taken away captive. If we obey the gospel of Christ our names are recorded in the Book of Life. If we reject, or disobey, the gospel we will be thrown into captivity. The choice is easy: freedom or captivity, prosperity or poverty, peace and joy or anxiety and fear. It is not a matter of choosing captivity or freedom. It is a matter of choosing Christ or rejecting Him. Captivity or freedom will be the fruit of your choice. Are you experiencing freedom in Christ, or do you find yourself captive to life? Turn to Christ; He is remarkable at setting the captives free.
Text For The Day
1 Chronicles 9:1: All Israel was recorded… and… inscribed in the book…. But Judah was carried away captive.
Thought For The Day
“We have not advanced very far in our spiritual lives if we have not encountered the basic paradox of freedom, to the effect that we are most free when we are bound. But not just any way of being bound will suffice; what matters is the character of our binding. The one who would like to be an athlete, but who is unwilling to discipline his body by regular exercise and by abstinence, is not free to excel on the field or the tracks. His failure to train rigorously and to live abstemiously denies him the freedom to go over the bar at the desired height, or to run with the desired speed and endurance. With one concerted voice the giants of the devotional life apply the same principle for the whole of life with the dictum: Discipline is the price of freedom.” David Elton Trueblood, The New Man for our Time, Harper Collins
 
Questions To Ponder
Morning Study Guide
Defining:  “Freedom” in the Scriptures is liberty in Christ and liberated from sin. It is not a license to live without restraints, cautions, and laws. It is the ability to live not being guilty of violating them.
 
Referencing: “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death,” Romans 8:2.
 
Applying: When you obey the law of Christ, you are not under the judgment of the law. Therefore, walk in the obedience that you know.