Freedom to Follow

I am blessed beyond my belief because my faith is small. Here I am claiming to follow Christ who is fully faithful and forgiving, but I am lacking in both areas all the time. I profess faith in a Father who possesses all things and gives generously, but I limit myself to myself. I still struggle with the flesh because of the Fall, failing to react to the fact that I am called to share the same faithfulness to God that He showed me-that I am commanded to forgive others as I have been forgiven.

Growing up in church, I have gained knowledge, but still lack wisdom. Allow me to attempt to explain: Knowledge is what you know while wisdom is what you do with that knowledge. In other words, wisdom is the application of knowledge. I am known by God and commanded to communicate that knowledge to others. Wisdom is the communication of knowledge, you might say. But lest you or I speak too much, here are just a couple of Scriptures that speak to this issue:

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
All those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever!
-Psalm 111:10

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight."
-Proverbs 9:10

Thomas Jefferson was a brilliant mind who had a gift for writing and shared this bit of wisdom with Nathaniel Macon, "Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom." Whether or not Jefferson knew Jesus, his saying is supported by Scripture because we have to be honest that we are sinful before we can be saved; we were lost and liked it. But God (those two words are absolutely incredible) loved us while we were lost because He is faithful and forgiving.

Our fortune is not in goods but in grace. God is not faithful to us because we are perfect. Instead, He is making us perfect because He is faithful. We were freed from sin by grace and that same grace continues to free us from sin. God's saving grace rescued us from rebellion and daily delivers us from the slavery of sin. We are saved, being sanctified, but still struggling with slavery. But as Tenth Avenue North likes to say and sing:

Hallelujah! 
We are free to struggle
We're not struggling to be free

The most important thing about us is not about us; it is about Christ and our identity "In Christ."

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
-John 8:36

For freedom's sake!

P.S. GREEN=GROWTH, RED=BLOOD, BLUE=FREEDOM