Insight for Today
A Daily Devotional by Pastor Chuck Swindoll

Imagine what must have been going through Joseph's mind at this point, shortly after he was incarcerated. He was not only innocent, he had resisted blatant temptation over and over again.

The appeal of sensual lust works like a magnet, drawing two ''sudden and fierce'' forces toward each other—inner desire and an outer bait. Let's face it, you can't escape the bait if you live in the real world.

This is a good time to call to mind several lessons we can learn from Jacob's family and Joseph's adversity. The first is obvious. No enemy is more subtle than passivity. When parents are passive, they may eventually discipline . . .

Before we get better acquainted with Joseph, let's take a quick glance at some background information. It will help if you remember that his biography falls neatly into three distinct segments.

My hope has been to create an appetite for grace that is so strong nothing will restrain us from pursuing the freedom and spontaneity it can bring—a longing so deep that a new spiritual dawn . . . cannot help but burst through the wall of legalism.

When I consider the magnetic effects of gracious giving, four qualities immediately emerge. First, grace is so attractive: Grace individualizes the gift. When you give by grace, you give individually.

The more the grace of God is awakened in a marriage, the less husbands will attempt to control and restrict and the less wives will feel the need to "please no matter what." It makes marriage easier to manage.

One characteristic of a grace awakening ministry deserves special attention: release from past failures. A ministry of grace doesn't keep bringing up the past for the purpose of holding it over people. There is an absence of shame.

Want a boost of encouragement? Our God is working toward that end in all of His children. It is His constant pursuit, His daily agenda, as He points us toward our final destination, ''the Celestial City,'' as Bunyan calls it.

Let me offer several comments that may help you handle future disagreeable times in a gracious manner. First, always leave room for an opposing viewpoint. If you don't have room for an opposing viewpoint, you're not going to do well when you get teenagers.

As much as we may pursue peace, and as positive and tactful as we may be, there will still be occasions when disagreements arise. As one wag put it, ''Life ain't no exact science,'' which brings me to the last two of four facts.

As much as we may pursue peace, and as positive and tactful as we may be, there will still be occasions when disagreements arise. As one wag put it, ''Life ain't no exact science,'' which brings me to the first two of four facts.

I want to focus our attention today on the concluding verses in Romans 14. Read verse 19 slowly and thoughtfully. ''So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.''

In his letter to the Romans, Paul goes into great detail regarding the issue of personal freedom—greater detail than almost anywhere else in his writings. In the fourteenth chapter, for example, he sets forth four very practical guidelines.

Grace comes to us in two dimensions, vertical and horizontal. Vertical grace centers on our relationship with God. It is amazing. It frees us from the demands and condemnation of the Mosaic Law. It announces hope to the sinner.

Even those who live in a free country need warnings. So we shouldn't be surprised that God gives His own a few warnings lest we abuse our privileges as people under grace. These warnings are set forth in verses 16 through 23 of Romans 6.

I wish I could guarantee all of us full freedom from sin 365 days a year, but that is not possible—not so long as we are earthbound. Perpetual sinlessness . . . will not be ours to enjoy until we are given glorified bodies and we are at home in heaven.

Now you say, ''Well, what if we find a list of dos and don'ts in Scripture?'' That is a very different issue! Any specified list in Scripture is to be obeyed without hesitation or question. That's an inspired list for all of us to follow.

A funny thing happened to me recently. One of the sound-and-light people at the church where I pastor (a real character!) heard me teach on the subject of freedom. A couple of weeks later he pulled a gag on me.

With all this talk about grace and liberty, perhaps it's time for me to clarify something. Some may be asking: Doesn't liberty have its limits? Shouldn't folks restrain their freedom and occasionally hold themselves in check? Yes, without question.