Free to live

TODAY'S READING: Romans 8:1-4
We were all prisoners. We were captive to the power of sin. Salvation through perfect obedience was impossible. But was it?
Imagine that you are locked in a prison cell. No one has a key. As a matter of fact, there is an entire set of keys laying on the floor that a guard must have dropped. You have tried them all a dozen times with no luck.
Then a man walks in, pulls out a key you have never seen before, and unlocks the door. But you decide that you like trying all of the other keys. You decide to leave the door closed so you can keep trying one of your keys because you are sure one of them has to work. Sounds crazy? You might think so, but followers of Jesus do this all of the time.
People try everything to be set loose from the bondage of sin. But only Jesus has the key. He IS the combination for the lock. He IS the only key that will set us free. But many of us choose to continue to live in the world Jesus came to set us free from.
Once Jesus has set you free there is no more condemnation. He lived the perfect life you and I could never live. And this sets us free to be more than we ever thought we could be.
Once we are not trying to earn our salvation, every "work" we perform is a show of gratitude, not a punch for our ticket. Our attitude should shift from "how much do I need to do" to "how could I ever do enough?" We become servants of the One who loves us, not slaves fulfilling a contract.
The door is unlocked and Jesus wants us to get out of the cell. Leave the things of the past behind and come out where the air is fresh and the possibilities are endless. What will God be able to accomplish through you when your life becomes an outpouring of love instead of a obligation to please God?

shine!
Jason