Through Christ our Savior, our redemption has freed us completely from the law – as far as salvation is concerned. There is no law a saved person can break that would cause God to condemn them to Hell. Thank God for it.

It is certain that many would disagree with me on this issue, but many verses verify such an amazing truth. Anyone who thinks that someone who is eternally saved can go back to a sinful life just because you are saved and not suffer for it – probably is not saved. God will chasten them if they are saved.

At true salvation, God makes the new believer a new creature and “old things are passed away.” A truly saved person is thankful for their salvation, and they want to serve God. They hate sin and that which displeases God. No, they are not perfect and will not be until the resurrection.

A growing Christian learns, like Paul, that not everything that we might do is “expedient.” That means that some things will not make us to be more like Christ, nor is it profitable to a Christian. We must exercise discernment about what we think, say, and do. God is willing to help us with this matter, if you want Him to.

Finally, Paul says that he “will not be brought under the power of any.” Sin can get your attention, and when you start listening and doing, it can enslave you. Once started, bad and sinful habits can be hard to break. With God’s wisdom, Paul declared that he will not let anything bring him into chains that keep him from doing the will of God.

Christian, are there habits in your life that you are having difficulty with? Is there something in your life that you need God’s help to break those chains so that you can serve Him more faithfully? Why not ask Him right now to help you get started on a new path of victory to serve Him the way He wants?

The Lord gives us some lessons from His interaction with Samuel when he was still very young. At this point, Samuel had not had any previous communication with God – but now it was time.

If you want to hear the Lord guiding your life more fully, it is necessary to draw as close as you can to Him – and seek to stay there. The closer you draw to God, the more easily you can hear His voice.

I. Recognize Who Is Speaking

We must be able to discern God’s leading in our life, as opposed to the leading of the flesh, of others, and of Satan. At first, Samuel thought it was Eli calling him. He did not know that God could or would speak to him.

II. Come Apart to Hear

God will only speak to a quiet heart. Get alone with God in prayer and shut the closet door. If we are too busy to get alone with Him, we will not hear what He has to say.

III. Be Ready to Obey

Once we are ready to hear, be sure you are willing to say: “Here am I, Lord.” It means surrender to His will. Not just to check out what He has to say so you can decide later if you want to do it or not – but there must be a readiness to do even before you know what it is He wants you to do.

IV. Carry Through to Hear More

If you do not do what He tells you to do, it is highly doubtful that He will tell you more. Your fellowship is hindered from that point on until you are ready to obey.

Samuel, though fearful to tell Eli what God told him – he did it anyway. Once you do obey, you can expect to have Him continue to guide you.

Christian, are you in that sweet place where you can hear and do the will of God?

At the Olympics, which just ended, many athletes from around the world gathered in Paris. They showed up and were ready to do what they could in the massive contest for the gold.

Many of them had practiced for years and became very good at a particular sport or event. Their biggest challenge was not so much doing what they loved, but it was found in other areas of life.

There was so much more that they could have done – but did not. They could have hung out with friends, slept in, played computer games instead of going to practice, talked to friends on the phone, wasted time by watching stupid videos, etc. But they didn’t.

Christians are the same way. Each one could do things other than the will of God, and some will do what God wants half-heartedly.

At the same time, some of them mistakenly think that they will get big rewards when they get to Heaven. Just like the Olympics, contestants who only practiced half-heartedly should not expect to win any medals. They are not overcomers. In fact, most contestants in the Olympics will not receive a medal.

Our text verse reveals who the overcomers are. They are the ones who have fought against the things that war against the soul and prevent us from doing the will of God. Those things are the world, the flesh, and the Devil. The Holy Spirit gives the victory.

There are no crowns given to people who are not single-minded and who will not strive daily for the mastery over those things that keep you from doing God’s will. The verse above reveals that any obstacle can be overcome if we walk in the Spirit.

Are you an overcomer? What sin and fleshly obstacle will you overcome today to do His will?

The word “temperance” appears four times in the New Testament. The Greek word is always translated this way in the N.T.

All through the Bible, the idea of temperance is taught. The word means self-control, restraint, moderation, to keep within bounds. The “bounds” that we need to stay within are those set by God.

Some people wrongly believe that God sets bounds to prevent us from having fun. The truth is exactly the opposite – the bounds are there to protect us from harm.

God desires that His children be different from the world and to stay away from their godless habits and practices. In order to help us want to please Him, He gives us many things the world wants – but can never have. He gives us joy, the satisfaction of knowing Him and assurance of where we will spend eternity, He promises to meet our needs, He will guide us, and so much more.

When those who are saved seek those things that are outside of the will of God, our relationship with Him is hurt. Eve thought she knew a better way – and ended up bringing a curse on the earth and every human born into it.

Right now, we are seeing the fruits of the labors of Olympian contestants who have been honing their skills for many years. Those who were temperate and paid the price of many hours of practice for hours on end are winning.

The apostle Paul alludes to this illustration and tells us that we also will be rewarded if we remain temperate and do things God’s way. In I Corinthians 9:25-27, he said: “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

These verses tell us that it will be worth it all one day! Don’t quit now! You will be glad when you have fought a good fight and finished your course and Our Lord tells you: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

Last night, I went to drop in on a church, as I often do if I do not have a scheduled meeting, and no one was there. This is sad, and I know that it is happening all over this country.

It seems many believers have just stopped having an interest in going to church. It is not only sad, but it is a shame.

Why? because many believers will say that they want to see a revival – but are not willing to support or put any effort toward having a revival, or supporting those who are seeking to be faithful. What will they do when their church closes – as many are now doing every year? It is doubtful that they will miss it, since it does not seem to play a big part in their life, anyway.

Revival is the only hope for this country. But it will not come from mediocre or carnal Christians – if they are even saved. It can only come from Christians who are dedicated to do the full will of God and get thoroughly right with Him. With sins confessed and a heart surrendered to God, He has promised to send a revival, according to II Chronicles 7:14.

What indifferent Christians do not realize is that their absence from the local church is a vote to close it down. They do not support it financially, or with their faithfulness, their family, and their friends are probably not church people either, because they do not want to be reminded about church anymore.

When our Lord comes for His own, He will be glad to find that there are still some on earth who have “kept the faith” and not turned their back on Him and His will for us. I do thank God for those of you who read this and still attend church regularly.

As the text verse shows, faithfulness and regular church attendance was the norm after Pentecost, and it was why early Christians were so spiritually strong. It was the pattern of the New Testament church, and it ought to be followed today. Faithful Christian, by grace keep going forward and try to bring some with you on Sunday. God will bless you for it.

Although darkness is often used to refer to those who do not know the saving truth of Christ in salvation, there are Christians who continue to walk to some degree in darkness. It means that they walk in ignorance of at least some of God’s Word and are not listening to the Spirit of God in their heart, or they deliberately do not care to please God by doing things their own way.

John, in the above verse, states that a professing believer that claims to be walking in fellowship with God but is continuing to commit some sin – is not being guided by the Spirit of God – no matter what they say. In fact, they are lying and they know it. It is why people that serve in the church should have clean lives and a good testimony.

The apostle Paul knew that there were some in the church at Rome that were walking after the course of this world and not following God’s plan for believers. He urged them to get rid of the sin and start walking in God’s light and truth. In Romans 13:12, he said: “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”

In plain language, Paul told them that there is no room for known sin in God’s camp. Deal with it and put it away so that you can start walking in God’s light.

People that walk in darkness do not understand God’s truth or the benefit of spiritual things. David wrote of unbelievers in this condition in Psalm 82:5: “They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.”

Jesus spoke of the light that the believer can have if they are willing to seek God and His truth – His will for them. He said, in John 8:12: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

For believers who seem to be in darkness and do not understand what God is doing in their life but want His will, He promises, in Psalm 112:4: “Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.”

Christian, are you walking in the darkness of uncertainty? God promises to give you light and hope and strength. Talk to God about the darkness, accept His working in your life and know that it is for good. The light will come – trust Him for it, but there may be growth that He wants to see. He is most gracious.

Do you really have fellowship with God? How is your prayer life?

When a soldier goes into battle, they prepare by making sure they have the right equipment. Without it, the battle is not expected to last very long. The unprepared soldier will probably go down in defeat.

The timing of when the armor is put on is extremely important. Not only does the soldier have to know what armor is available, they also have to be practiced to wear it correctly.

Since our enemy Satan and his demons, are always looking to trip up God’s people, the armor God gives us needs to be worn at all times. Have you put it on today?

Not wearing the armor is equivalent to a soldier being out of uniform. It means you are not watching for the enemy, but you also do not intend to be serious about fighting our enemy. In the military, it is a serious offense – possibly treasonous if you are supposed to be on duty.

No Christian can put on the armor of God without knowing it. It involves surrender to the will of God first. Then, there must be a willingness to be His servant today – not someday. Third, you must be willing to stand against sin in your own life – put it away – stop tolerating it. Fourth, you need to be looking for opportunities to talk to lost people about Jesus Christ and the salvation He paid for and freely offers to all.

Living in victory over sin and doing the will of God is the key to a happy and fruitful life. It is also a life without regrets.
Christian, are you wearing the armor of God right now? If not, why not take time right now and put it on?

As a child of God, believers do not have to go around life wandering in a wilderness with no guide. Instead, the above verse shows us that God promises to guide the believer who is not only willing to be guided but also obedient.

Before He will guide and show you the will of God, He asks that you be doing what He commands in His Word. His Word is plain but it requires that you read it daily and be surrendered to Him. In most cases, He wants you to take His Word at face value and just do it with His help – particularly those things in the New Testament.

In these verses, God mentions the horse and mule. He tells us not to be like them because they have to be forced to go in certain directions. They cannot do so willingly because they do not know what the rider wants. God does not want to have to force you to obey Him.

Christians, however, have the Spirit and the Word to guide us – but we must choose to do what we know He wants us to do. We cannot expect Him to show us steps C, D, and E until we have first followed Him in steps A and B.

He will not show you His will so you can check it out and see if you want to do it or not. Instead, when you are willing to do what He wants because of love and trust, He will show you His will for your life when He is ready.

Do you really want to know the will of God? Are you doing today what He wants you to?

Most believers suspect that the Rapture is not far away. Our world is not getting any better. It seems like it is getting ripe for the antichrist to appear. While many Christians hope it is near, some have mixed feelings about it.

Take a moment and think about something. We know that the Lord will richly reward His faithful servants. He will not fail to do this as He promised. We also have heard that there is no greater joy that a believer can have than being in the will of God. I certainly have found it true. Personally, though there has been testings along the way, I would not trade them for anything. They have revealed God’s care, provision, and wisdom.

However, while thinking about the Rapture, I have to wonder how much have you as a believer done in the first half of the year for Him? Could you have done more? I would have to say that I know I could have.

If He were to come today, would you be disappointed because there is so much you still want to see and do here? Perhaps it is time to reevaluate what you are living for. We ought to be living for His Kingdom: (“seek ye first the kingdom of God” Matthew 6:33). 

Christian friend, you cannot take anything here with you to glory. Nor will you earn any rewards apart from what is in His will for you. Why not submit yourself afresh to doing His will today, and then you will discover that it is “good, acceptable, and perfect” (Romans 12:2)?

The above two verses demonstrate our Savior’s attitude toward accomplishing the will of God. They show that it is obvious that Jesus had no plans of His own. He only wanted to do what His Father wanted and He wanted to finish it.

From His busy life, we can see that the Son of God never wasted time. Though Jesus did take some breaks, it was because our bodies need them and He was showing us that some rest is needed to help prevent burnout.

Christians should always be willing to exert themselves to do our Father’s will. He is never pleased with half-heartedness or laziness. He wants His people to serve Him with hot hearts – not lukewarm or cold ones.

There are two thoughts in these verses. The first one is that Jesus knew when to work – in the day. It means we should not wait for a better day or time – but work for God today while we have the freedom and opportunity to do so. We have no idea what tomorrow may bring.

The second verse shows us that He was energized to do what His Father wanted. He could not be fully satisfied until it was finished. Also, it is evident that He considered doing His Father’s will to be more important than even eating.

Solomon told his son “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). This is good advice for all of us, especially once you know what God wants you to do – as found in His Word. If you are faithful, He will provide the open doors.