Purpose: Why Did You Get Set Free?
From Pastor Shemalya King
“For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven...” 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
By God's good grace, I've been an observer since I can remember knowing my name. I watched carefully and I understood people supernaturally. I KNEW! As I am sitting in my vehicle this morning waiting on my daughter to finish testing, the thought came to mind: “There is only ONE Truth.” Whereas opinions are varied about topics and situations, there is only one truth about each. Let me add (seemingly contradicting what I just said) that there may be different things that are true about topics and situations, but those things DO NOT contradict each other. Rather, they build a stronger case or bring clarity concerning the topic or situation. With that said, it's good to KNOW the truth about a thing.
Since I was a little child, I knew without a doubt that what I could “see” or conclude was absolutely true, even in a room of varied opinions. Now, if it were all about me, I believe you could label me arrogant or beside myself. But, it's not about me AT ALL. God is the only Truth, and to know the truth of something is to have obtained it from God. Jesus once asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” The disciples responded with various descriptions saying that some say that you're John the Baptist, some say that you're Elijah, some say that you're Jeremiah, and others say you're one of the prophets. But, Jesus asked them, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter said, “You're the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Guess what Jesus said to him. He said, “Flesh and blood hath not revealed this to you.” Jesus knew that since Peter knew the truth, there's only one place he got it. Read Matthew 16:13-17.
We live in a world FILLED with lies, a world where people delight in telling lies. Not only that, but satan is busy stealing hours, days, weeks, months, and years from those who do not know the truth. Part of living an abundant life is knowing the Truth (John 14:16).
Here's where I'm heading with this: I'm wanting to remember the truth about my Christian walk so that I'm not enticed off my path. You also need to know THE TRUTH. In our opening verse, the Thessalonians turned TO God FROM idols TO SERVE the living and true God and TO WAIT on His Son to return from heaven. There was purpose in them leaving idol worship. That purpose or reason will be the truth that guides their actions. I suppose that if they had lost sight of why they had a lifestyle change, they might have returned back to their bondage. THIS IS POWERFUL!!
Look at WHY God wanted the Israelites free from the bondage of Egypt: “Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me” Exodus 8:1. It's clear here why God wanted His people free, to serve Him. If you know the story of the children of Israel, you know that they lost sight of that vision. They rejoiced in their freedom, initially, but they were not led by the vision of freedom.
Why did you get set free from your sin? Have you lost sight of the reason–your purpose? What's true about where you are right now?
