Read Romans 6:20-23
“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (v. 22).
Two kinds of freedom are noted in today’s passage. The apostle stated clearly that sinners are free from righteousness. As “servants of sin,” every one of us was once so captivated by sin that righteousness was not a part of our lives or characters. Paul would have disagreed strongly with the idea that people are basically good. His teaching indicates that apart from a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, everyone is essentially evil.
Yet that does not make freedom from sin an impossibility. Paul continued by insisting that freedom — the word means liberty or liberation — from sins is possible in Christ. In fact, he said that we have been set free from sins by our relationship with the Savior. Whereas we once were free from righteousness and servants of sin, we are now free from sin and servants to God.
What a difference it makes when Jesus saves! Theologically and practically, we are changed when Jesus saves us and lives in our hearts and lives. Later, Paul talked about us being made new creations in Christ because old things pass away and everything keeps on becoming new. When we become servants of God, we are liberated, produce the fruit of holiness, and have the hope of everlasting life. (Mark Avery)

Salvation in Jesus Christ sets us free from sin’s bondage.

This is the Tuesday, June 23, 2015, devotional entry from Opening the Word.

 Read Romans 8:16-19
“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (v. 17).
Often when we visit friends, we are shown items of interest that they inherited from a family member. Those are heirlooms, things that heirs would receive. Many of these things are priceless, in either actual or sentimental value.
While my family did not seem to hang on to things of the past, I enjoy the beautiful dishes, quilts, and furniture others have inherited, and I listen to the loving connections with family. We have already learned this week that we are adopted by the King of the heavens and are His children. In every sense, that makes us heirs of God, heirs of all the good things He has for His children and of a home in heaven, and heirs together with Christ!
With inheritance comes responsibility. By bearing His name, we show the world what the family is like. We are witnesses to what He has done for us by living holy lives and by reflecting His grace. The change in us will show others the possibilities of being joint-heirs with Christ! (Sue Colburn)

I once was an outcast stranger on earth,
A sinner by choice, an alien by birth!
But I've been adopted; my name's written down.
I'm heir to a mansion, a robe, and a crown!
— Harriet E. Buell

Think of all we inherit by being children of the King, then count your blessings!

This is the Tuesday, June 16, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

Read Romans 5:1-6
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 1).
In an effort to be a good Christian, as a teen-ager I turned a spiritual magnifying glass on myself, absorbed with every thought or deed that might be wrong. Throughout my day, I was constantly apologizing to God for the slightest infraction. Let us just say I was not a very joyful or a very peaceful follower of Christ.
Ironically, in my effort to do what was right as a Christian, I became very focused on myself rather than on Christ. Something was seriously backwards about the whole thing. My worries about “what if I have done something wrong” actually undermined the very faith I needed.
So here is my testimony of what Christ has done for me: He has delivered me from myself. At this and other times in my life, when I have been completely bound by doubts and trying to do or be, Jesus has swept in and brought release. He has also dealt with my pride, one of the unpleasant roots of it all.
When it comes right down to it, neither you nor I can ever be good enough. We are only justified by faith, and faith in God is the only route to true peace. (Ashlee Englund)

Jesus is the source of our salvation.

This devotional is the entry for Friday, June 12, 2015, of Opening the Word.

Photo credit: "Magnified Eye_5364c" by James Emery used under CC BY 2.0 / Cropped.

Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound in every good work” (v. 8).
A few days ago, my wife and I picked up my sister and took her out for lunch to celebrate her eighty-sixth birthday. Since we were not familiar with the eating establishments in her area, we asked where she would like to eat. She told us of a restaurant that she liked, and fried chicken was their specialty (that suited me wonderfully). As we sat and enjoyed our lunch together, I observed a young man keeping the buffet stocked. I could not believe how much fried chicken he carried out. They had an abundant supply of fried chicken.
Though it seemed that the chicken was abundant, there was only so much chicken available. When we talk about God’s grace being abundant, we know that it cannot be exhausted. In our text verse we read “all grace.” Paul said that this “all grace” abounds toward us. It is not something that we are entitled to, but God makes “all grace” abound toward us when we are His children, endeavoring to live in obedience to His commands and in accordance with His statutes. He understands our weaknesses and limitations but wants us to come to Him for help when we fail to live up to His expectations. (Larry DeOrnellis)

It is wonderful to know that God makes all grace abound to us, His children.

This devotional is the Friday, June 5, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

Photo Credit: pixabay.com

Read Revelation 22:1-9
“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” (v. 1).
“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (Rev. 2:7). I can think of nothing more majestic or serene than crystal, refreshing, sparkling, pure water flowing through the grandiosity of elegantly crafted and adorned structures. I doubt anyone would dare criticize the beautiful Blue Danube drifting through Budapest, the River Seine through Paris, the Thames through London, or even the Central Canal running right through the Indiana Government Center in downtown Indianapolis.
Ah, the imagined bliss of the Garden of Eden, that with one wrong choice forever marred the spotless beauty of the paradise God had created for habitation. Although today we see His handiwork, despite the impediments resulting from the entrance of sin, we have the promise that our Creator has plans to restore the perfection of His creation for the enjoyment of those who partake of the abundant life possible through His Son, the Lamb. (RB Kuhn)

O Lord, your paradise awaits our entrance; the tree of life blooms full.
Your providence will guide us; someday we’ll rest by waters cool. — RB Kuhn

The idea of paradise is nothing new with the Creator. Don’t miss what He is preparing for you, dear child of God.

This devotional is taken from the Sunday, May 31, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.
Photo Credit: southern daydreamer on Pixabay.com

Read Matthew 24:36-41
“But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (v. 37).
I am appalled day after day as I observe the extent of human wickedness in our world. Regardless of the medium, news programs inundate us with the most disgusting, heartbreaking stories one can imagine. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9).
As I write this devotional, news stories include a teen-age girl who killed her brother, gunmen who killed twelve people in France, a father who threw his daughter off a bridge, a celebrity being charged with fraud, a porn star and a lesbian couple in the spotlight, and on and on. One almost feels the need to take a brain shower after the daily dose of headlines to say nothing of the in-depth stories. We read that in the days of Noah, “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5).
I believe we have cycled back to the condition in this world that brought God to the decision to wipe man off the face of the earth. This time He will be setting events in motion for the closing of this era permanently with the greatest event being the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. (Harold Carpenter)

All the earth is groaning, crying for that day of sweet release,
For our Jesus to come back to earth again. — James M. Kirk

Focus on the up-look rather than the out-look.

This devotional is the Monday, May 18, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.
Photo Credit: pixabay.com

Read John 17:9-21
“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (v. 21).
I was just reflecting on a friend who recently passed away. “You know,” I said to my wife, “he was a little crazy about that one thing.” I hurried to say that he was indeed a great man and a good Christian brother, but that one thing befuddled me. It just did not fit. What I had done over the years, was just carefully wrap that aspect up in a nice little bundle and slide it onto a back shelf of my mind where I stored things I did not really understand. I did not allow it to factor into how I interacted with him.
Just think how much God puts up with us. As we allow Him to work in our lives, sometimes the progress is slow. That may be because we are hesitant and may struggle. However, it may be that we are not in a place where God can effectively get through to us as He needs to. It may take a while. God is a very patient God!
The bottom line is that we all have some stupid stuff that needs work. Yes, even Christians. We are real people in real relationships and with real differences. Accept that. But none of our differences should keep us from experiencing the common bond we have as Christians. (Ken Farmer)
This devotional is the Thursday, April 30, 2015 entry from Opening the Word.
Photo credit: "DSC_0017" by Ted used under CC BY-SA 2.0 / Resized, text added.

Read John 14:15-21
“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (v. 17).
The Lord is not a distant God. Neither has He forsaken us and gone off on a journey. He is ever present. We say He walks beside us; He leads and instructs us. It is true. He is also our inside God. He wants to fill us with His Spirit, and He wants to be and will be “closer than a brother.”
His Spirit in us cleanses, guides, and comforts. We cannot live Christian lives when we are filled with self — our ideas, our plans, and our desires. We must yield to Him and let Him lead our lives. He will fill every corner of your life — your work, your recreation, and your worship.
We must be filled with His Spirit, before we can do what He would have us do. Our lives will be happy when we no longer have a conflict in our hearts. Will it be God’s way or my way? When God is in control, we can depend on Him to love and guide us. Then the responsibility for our lives is His. We only have to obey Him. God made us so that our hearts cannot be satisfied without Him. We will always be searching for something to fill the “God-shaped vacuum” in our hearts, until we give Him first place in our hearts. (Bertha Laird)

Invite the Spirit of God to rule your heart; you will never be sorry.

This devotional is the Tuesday, April 21, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.
Photo Credit: https://download.unsplash.com/photo-1429552016556-fd6f7d9743e1 by Brandon Morgan / Resized, cropped.

Read John 3:1-8
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (v. 5).
“Smack, smack,” went the doctor’s hand. The air was filled with a beautiful cry! Such rejoicing and emotion went all through the room. A brand new life had been born into this world.
Five times over my husband and I have been allowed this privilege — this joy. In order for us to share living with our children, there had to be a place of birth! Then the benefits and responsibilities became ours.
Jesus shared with Nicodemus the essential requirement to obtaining an eternal life. One cannot only have an earthly birthplace, but one must experience a birthplace of the Holy Spirit.
How do we have such a birthplace? Jesus says, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (v. 18)
Do you remember the day you really believed in the Lord Jesus Christ to save you from your sins? If not, you can! Let this be the time and place. Believe in Jesus and be born again! Then, eternal life is yours! Jesus is the only way! (Janene Dubbeld)

By night he came to seek the Truth
Although he’d studied from his youth.
The Master said, “Be born again!”
This is OUR hope — amen, AMEN! — Janene Dubbeld

To obtain eternal life one cannot only have an earthly birthplace, one must experience a birthplace of the Holy Spirit.

This devotional is the entry for Monday, April 13, 2015, of Opening the Word.

Photo credit: "Baby" by Gabi Menashe used under CC BY 2.0.