32 lines
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32 lines
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<title>Blue Letter Bible: Day By Day By Grace — Bob Hoekstra</title>
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Day By Day By Grace</div>
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<div class="subhead">Bob Hoekstra</div>
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<div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020">May 10</div>
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<h2>Bondage versus Liberty</h2>
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<div class="block"><i>Therefore, since we have <b>such hope</b>, we use great <b>boldness</b> of speech—unlike Moses, who put a <b>veil</b> over his face so that the children of Israel <b>could not look</b> steadily at the end of what was passing away.</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Cr',3,'12-13');">2 Corinthians 3:12-13</a>)</div>
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<p>Living by the old covenant of <b>law</b> requires a "performance based life," which depends upon <b>man's</b> sufficiency. This produces spiritual <b>bondage</b>. Living by the new covenant of <b>grace</b> provides a "relationship based life," which depends upon <b>God's</b> sufficiency. This results in spiritual <b>liberty</b>.</p>
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<p>Moses was a great servant of the Lord. He is a wonderful example to us in many ways. However, in our present verses, we see him living by His own sufficiency, thereby exemplifying life under the law. As Moses met with the Lord for the giving of the law, his face would shine. For the benefit of the people, he would place a veil over this shining glory: <i>"Moses, who put a <b>veil</b> over his face."</i> When this glory began to fade away (as it was designed to do), Moses kept the veil on <i>"so that the children of Israel <b>could not look</b> steadily at the end of what was <b>passing away</b>."</i> In this, Moses was caught in a <b>bondage</b> of secrecy. He did not want others to see the glory fade. He wanted others to think that his face was still aglow.</p>
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<p>All of us are tempted at times to hide behind a veil of secrecy. This is particularly the case when we are trusting in our own sufficiency. When drawing upon our insufficient resources, we generally sense that we are not doing as well as we should be: <i>"<b>Not</b> that we are <b>sufficient</b> of <b>ourselves</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Cr',3,5);">2 Corinthians 3:5</a>). So, we try to hide it. We want others to think that our spiritual walk is more glorious than it actually is. So we put on veils of pretense, self-righteousness, or self-justification. The remedy for this bondage of secrecy is living by new covenant grace.</p>
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<p>We are new covenant servants: <i>"God, who also made us sufficient as ministers</i> [servants] <i>of the new covenant"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Cr',3,'5-6');">2 Corinthians 3:5-6</a>). God makes us sufficient by sharing His fully adequate resources with us. <i>"Our sufficiency is <b>from God</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('2Cr',3,5);">2 Corinthians 3:5</a>). This is our effective hope for avoiding the bondage of secrecy that overtook Moses. <i>"Therefore, since we have <b>such hope</b>, we use great <b>boldness</b> of speech—<b>unlike Moses</b>."</i> Those who live by the grace of God have such great hope. Their expectations are anchored in the Lord, not in self. Thus, they can be bold, open, candid. If they fail, they humbly confess their insufficiency. If they succeed, they openly credit His adequacy.</p>
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<div class="dbdbg_prayer">Lord, You are my only hope and my sufficiency. You alone
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can liberate me from the bondage that results from trusting in
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myself. So, in line with Your word, I again look to You to
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supply daily what I need for godly living, Amen.</div>
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<a href="./devotions/daybyday/05/0509.html">Yesterday's Reading</a>
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