"But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness." Romans 6:17,18
Keith Giroux ran his first marathon on Patriots Day, 2016 within the walls of a Massachusetts State Correctional Facility on a treadmill. Looking forward to the day he would be released from his five year sentence and could experience a marathon in the open air, Keith said, "I started running the day I got out. I’ve run almost every single day since." And that training paid off when, on November 13, three weeks after he was 'set free', Giroux completed the Myles Standish Marathon in Plymouth Massachusetts.
You know the Bible tells us that you and I were once prisoners, or "slaves of sin", too. And that now, after having been "set free" from it, that we are no longer to live the way we once did, the way that lead us to our condemnation or imprisonment. Instead you and I are to now live our lives wholeheartedly committed to obeying God's commands and living as "slaves of righteousness". Simply said, that means that you and I are to give ourselves and our lives fully to God forever thankful for this freedom.
When asked how it felt to run a marathon after being in prison, Keith said, "It’s awesome because I’m not limited to a treadmill next to a wall." If he thinks that's awesome, it's nothing compared to being "set free" for good is it? Now that my friend is awesome!
Heavenly Father, thank you for setting us free when we were prisoners to sin. Help us to leave those things behind that would threaten to imprison us once more and to run after you instead. And please help us to remember that this freedom is by nothing we did but only by your grace-and for that we should be singing your praises! It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
Set free - Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman
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