Over All Lines!

Our supreme need, our only need, is to know God, the living God, and the power of his might. We need nothing else. It is just that, the power of the living God, to know that the living God is among us and that nothing else matters. . . . I say, forget everything else. Forget everything else. We need to realize the presence of the living God amongst us. Let everything else be silent. This is no time for minor differences. We all need to know the touch of the power of the living God. ~D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

It is interesting to consider the freeing effect when the sins that enchained are broken and the unencumbered self begins to emerge. It's like the ship, doing what a ship is meant to do - which is to say go to sea, as the mooring lines are cast off. Jesus taught, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (Jn. 8:31-32, 34-36) The knowledge of the saving truth, only revealed by the accompanying Holy Spirit, is able to equip one for obedient following of the Lord’s teachings. There is freedom, distinct from salvation freedom, as we progress in the sanctification (Phil. 1:6) and further realization of who we are in Christ and what we have been designed for (i.e. glorify God and enjoy Him forever). Sin seeks to shackle each individual (believers and non-believers alike) to prevent this realization and ultimately to kill the Creator-reflecting humanity in each person. We forget, and so Christ reminds us that we are free indeed and the Spirit that raised Him from the dead has released us from the chains that bind and delivered us unto a transcendent life for His glory and our good. As change occurs it is not personality that is being transformed - for the Christian - but, Jesus emerging through us as His character is revealed. We diminish, He develops.