More on Bondage versus Liberty
When the defroster kicks in, clarity returns—not by effort, but by presence.
Devotional Credit: Day by Day by Grace by Bob Hoekstra
Photo Credit: Unsplash
In today’s reflection by Bob Hoekstra, we’re shown the stark contrast between the bondage that comes from the old covenant and the liberty that flows from the Spirit of Christ. The old covenant—based on human effort and law-keeping—leaves a veil over the heart. This veil is not just a metaphor for misunderstanding; it is a spiritual blindness rooted in self-sufficiency. The Israelites clung to their heritage, thinking their lineage from Abraham gave them standing before God. But Jesus made it clear: no one is free until they are made free by Him.
Relying on religious history, human strength, or perceived moral superiority is not liberty—it’s a trap. It hardens the heart and keeps us blind to our need for a Savior. But when we turn to Christ, the veil is lifted. The Spirit of the Lord doesn’t weigh us down with demands; He brings freedom—freedom from blindness, freedom from self-reliance, freedom to live in the light of God’s grace. This liberty is not a theory—it is Christ Himself, dwelling within and enabling us to see clearly and live freely.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit
My child, I have never asked you to live for Me through your own sufficiency. That is the veil—thinking you can see when you cannot, thinking you can walk when your legs are bound in law. But I am the Spirit, and where I dwell, there is liberty. You are not called to strive your way into light; you are invited to turn. Just turn—again and again—and I lift the veil.
Those who trust in their performance will always struggle to see Me clearly. But you, beloved, have been given eyes to see and a heart made tender by grace. You are no longer under the shadow of performance-based acceptance. I have written My life upon your heart. I am not asking you to earn your way into My favor. I am your life, and where I am, you are free.
Let Me guide your steps today—not by the letter carved in stone, but by My indwelling presence. The law could never give what I give: rest, joy, and the kind of liberty that doesn’t boast, but simply breathes. You are not in bondage. You are in Me.
(2 Corinthians 3:14–17; John 8:33–36; Luke 3:3, 8; Luke 18:9–11)
Real-Life Analogy
It’s like driving with a fogged-up windshield. You keep wiping it with your sleeve, trying to see, convinced you’ll get a clearer view if you just try harder. But it’s not until you engage the defroster—something outside your own effort—that the fog vanishes. Suddenly, you can see clearly. The road was always there; it’s the veil that kept you blind. Christ is that defroster. He clears the fog not by effort, but by presence.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord Jesus, thank You that I no longer live under a veil of confusion or religious self-effort. You have taken away the blindness, and in You, I see clearly. I rejoice that Your Spirit now lives in me, not to weigh me down, but to lift me up in liberty. I trust You today to lead me in freedom—not by law but by life. I walk in the joy of knowing You are my sufficiency, and I will rest in that truth moment by moment.