July 4 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Galatians 5:1-13:

¹Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
²Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
³For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
⁴Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
⁵For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
⁶For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
⁷Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
⁸This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
⁹A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
¹⁰I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.
¹¹And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.
¹²I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
¹³For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Devotional

This is Independence Day. We all prize civil liberty. It is always hard to be in bondage and slavery. A free people is a happy people. By nature we are all in bondage to sin. And it is not in our power to free ourselves. Christ saw us in our help­lessness and came to set us free. He redeemed us from sin and all the power of the devil. His work of deliverance is complete. There remains no more to be done. The Galatians had received the gospel, but were in great danger of losing its benefits, be­cause they did not fully trust Christ, but sought salvation by the works of the law. And that is the danger today. Men think God's grace is not sufficient, and that therefore they must do this or that work in order to make themselves acceptable to God. They forget that every work of the law which they do with the intent of meriting salvation, is a denial of the merits of Christ. No, Christ has set us completely free, and therefore we are free in­deed. Now we must stand fast in this liberty, and not be entangled in any work of bondage. We must abide in his Word. Then we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us free. But we are set free to serve Christ in righteousness and holiness all the days of our life. God enables us to do this by his Holy Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.

Prayer

O God, we thank Thee that Thou hast set us free from the galling shackles of sin and Satan, that Thou hast brought us unto the glorious liberty of the children of God. But help us to realize that we are set free in order to serve Thee in righteousness and holiness without fear all the days of our life. Make Thou us heartily willing and ready to live unto Thee. We thank Thee for the measure of civil liberty which we enjoy. We pray for those who are in authority over us. May they so rule that we may be enabled to lead a quiet and peace­ful life in all godliness and honesty. Bless our nation. And may we realize that only that nation is truly blessed, whose God is the Lord. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: John 8:36; Luke 1:74, 75; 2 Cor. 3:17.

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