Bought at a price

Everyone knows there is a God. And everyone fights against that. We want things our way, on our terms. We want to live our lives apart from anyone or anything telling us what we can or cannot do. Yet the need for God in our lives is so deep and so misunderstood that we replace Him with religion, money, friends, sports, sex, work, etc. And our world is shattered because we refuse to believe that we are not our own that we are not to be like those in the world, but to be set apart, sanctified, holy and pure.

We say, “I have the right to be happy, to pursue life on my own terms, I am a self-made man, a believer and I have been set free to do and say whatever I want!” However, if we are born-again believers, the Bible clearly states that we are belong to God. Because we have been bought at a price, we are now bondservants of Christ. His death freed us from sin and we are now obligated to serve Him and Him alone.

“I am not my own. I was bought with a price.” This is something disciples should commit to long-term memory and meditate on everyday. We have no final right to self. God does not take away our right of choice. He does not turn us into non-thinking, unresponsive robots, but He says we will have to account for the decisions we make, the lives we lead, the fruit we bear. God bought us, He owns us, and we are His by right of creation and of purchase, to send us where He wants us to go, to have us live for Him. He reserves the right to take away from our lives whatever He sees is harmful to us, whether we like it or not, to give us both blessings and trials alike as He sees that we need each, and to guide us as a loving Father to the place where we recognize that He owns us – we belong to Him. God is glorified when we begin to live moment-by-moment by His Holy Spirit and live in the reality that, “Lord, You are Lord of my life.”

Prayer
Lord, I thank You for these powerful words. I confess to You how little I know about my own nature, how easily I have given in to the lies and illusions and deceptions of this world. Forgive me Lord, and help me in the light of Your Word to walk in ways that I have never imagined possible. To be set free. Help me to show in my daily life the holiness of a life hidden in Christ Jesus through the power of Your Holy Spirit. I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.