I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
1 John 2:26 ESV
If we’re not careful, we can get stuck in a rut spiritually by relying on familiar traditions instead of relying on the Holy Spirit.
I get it, seeing the same faces and doing the same things week in and week out provide a sense of safety and security. We like predictable. Why? Because then we feel like we’re in control. We know what’s going to happen.
But what if the very things that we are trusting in to keep us safe are keeping us stuck instead? What if our comfort zone is causing spiritual stagnation? How do we break the cycle of mindless repetition of familiar ways?
We have to do what Jesus and His disciples did. We have to be led by God, not our familiar, cultural traditions.
But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie — just as it has taught you, abide in him.
1 John 2:27 ESV
The promises of the New Covenant are for a new humanity that is joined with God Himself through the indwelling Holy Spirit. No longer do we need an intermediary between us and God. We can all approach the Father for wisdom, counsel and direction because we have been made holy by the blood of Jesus once and for all. We all have equal access to the throne of grace.
We won’t enter the promised land of abiding in the eternal and abundant life of Christ if we refuse to leave old ways behind. We must be brave and trust God to lead us into the fullness of maturity and blessing.
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”
Genesis 12:1 ESV
Abraham is the father of our faith. He was counted as righteous because he believed God and acted on God’s Word. He obeyed God’s voice long before the Law of Moses was ever given. The Law has been fulfilled and abolished. It was for a time and season for a certain nation. The Law simply showed us how sinful we were. Saving faith is freely available to all by God’s grace.
If God said, “Go,” what would you do? Would you wait? Would you try to talk yourself out of obeying the voice of God? Or would you walk in obedience? The children of Abraham obey the voice of their Heavenly Father.
“And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
Genesis 12:2-4 ESV
If Abram had not obeyed, he never would have become Abraham and become all that God had intended for him. Our old identity, if not nailed to the Cross, will cloud our vision. God has a plan and a purpose for your life. It’s not your idea. It’s not what your flesh would desire. It’s designed to bless others while bringing glory to God.
We cannot exalt ourselves and God at the same time. We cannot do our own will and God’s will at the same time. Surrender to God and find freedom from the familiar. Enter your promised land by faith. Trust, listen, and obey. God’s got this.
Prayer Points
- Ask God to reveal where you have not been trusting Him. Surrender those areas of your life to His care and leadership.
- Yield yourself to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Declare that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life and has absolute authority to lead you.
- Renounce any agreement you have had with familiar spirits, the traditions of man and the doctrines of demons. Ask God to replace any lies that you’ve believed with His truth.
Father in Heaven, we surrender to the Lordship of Christ afresh this day. Free us from familiar traditions that are not led by Your Spirit. Free us from religious obligations that You didn’t intend for us to be weighed down with. Set us free, O God, to walk with You and talk with You throughout the day. For the glory of Your Name. Amen.
And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.
But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
1 John 2:3-6 NLT
Recommended reading: 1 John 2 and Genesis 12.
Igniter Ministries 
So good.