Have you ever felt over-powered by something? Unable to break free of something? Unable to see beyond something? Yes...I have too.
Have you ever dreamt of the day you'd wake up and be free of that "thing" and be able to open your eyes and not think about that "longing" or that desire to NOT long for that "longing..." Me too. It's what controls us that we serve you see. You may think yourself a free person. A person who owes no-one a thing, or belongs to any other soul. You are "free as a bird.." "light as a feather.." Full of aspirations...dreams....and freedom? Check yourself my friends...how free are you...really....??
As I sat reading the word today I was struck by how much the idea of slavery is focused on in the Bible...the idea of being a slave to something can either be good or bad depending on who and what you are a slave too.
"But thanks be to God that though you used to be salves to sin, you whole heartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have BEEN SET FREE and become slaves to righteousness." - Romans 6:17
That's sort of backwards thinking you might have thought as you read those words...that being a slave to something can actually set you free? But when it's righteousness that you are in bondage too...it is the freeing place any soul could ever be. (i know this first hand)
"But now that you have been set free from sin and you have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to Holiness, and the result is eternal LIFE." - Romans 6:22
Yikes! Is probably what your thinking. Strong verbiage there. "slaves to God???" Do people still say that?? Yes they do, and yes we live this way BECAUSE it leads to eternal life. Holiness is freedom my friends from ever feeling squirmy about something, freedom to always be able to answer someone honestly, with a pure answer that claims, "I have nothing to hide." Can you say that? nothing to hide at all... I think we all would love to claim that...wouldn't we?
Why do we want to be pure? Why do we want this eternal life?
"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life..."- Romans 6:23
That's why. Because as hard as it is to say, (and hear) death is the other side of life, and death my friends will happen, sooner or later. I know it's not fun to think about, but it's sort of like that terrible story on the news that you just can't pull your eyes away because you have to see the end, we all hate the idea of death, but we know we are going to have to go through it at some point, and once we hit death's wall, and move through that, where do you think you will end up? Dead? Sadly, if we have not faced the truth of Christ in life...we will face it in death.
What kind of a plan is that from a loving God? you might ask this as I have...
He has given us all the chances in the world in THIS life because in the moments after death, it's simply too late.
"But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.."- Romans 8: 10
No one on earth is "better" than another. No one is perfect. No one is good. We are all dead in our mortal bodies. It's our choices to follow truth, to be a slave to righteousness because in the slavery to Christ, there is freedom. Life on earth with joy, and life after death for eternity. (and in the eternal life, life will be perfect, without blemish, with out flaw, no more tears.) Just saying that makes me want it now...
"What then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who DID NOT SPARE His own son, but gave Him up for us all- how will He not also along with Him graciously give us all thing?" - Romans 8:31
Why is it that we are so in bondage to things? So controlled by people, things and dreams? Because we want it all. We want what we think will make us ultimately the most happy. The best...the greatest...having it all is our biggest dream.
Sadly it's the pursuit of happiness that often leads us to the most sadness and empty sort of life. For we were made to desire perfection because we were made to long for heaven and all it's holiness.
So really, the only thing that sets us free is slavery. Backwards thinking you say? It's not when you think that in story of faith, Jesus died to save. Therefore we offer ourselves as living sacrifices to he who died to save. I know...it sounds so radical. But the story of Jesus (which is not just a story) is radical. Grace is radical. Faith is radical. But a life that is lived controlled by Christ is the most free life you will ever live.
You know the feeling you get when your on vacation and you wake up to the sun shining, the water lapping on the beach that sits right outside your little cottage door, the coffee has just been made for you and you know that nothing stands in the way of the good you want to enjoy for that day? Eternal life with Christ is that, only multiplied by more than you can ever imagine.
So what is it that controls you? Do you see darkness? Or peace? THIS life is not perfect but with Christ, it's the best you will ever live. (not because everything is roses, but because even in trial, there is hope) Something to think about my friends....
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers neither height, not depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 8:37-39
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