Are You Slave or Free?

Welcome back heroes! I know it has been a long time; but, I was needed in sector 3412 to help quell the rising tide of the Red Lanterns in that sector. Sadly….Guy Gardner survived the fighting and is still around to annoy the rest of the Coprs; but, thems the breaks. Anyway, I am back and hopefully I have something meaningful and life impacting to say in my little blog. Well, most likely not; but, at least it should be mildly entertaining. That being said, have you ever just stopped and thought about bondage? No, not that kind of bondage! Get your mind out of the gutter and throw out your copy of 50 Shades of Grey. What I am talking about when I mention the word bondage are the shackles that we all allow in our lives that keep us bound up and chained.

Wait Mr. Kiefer did you just imply that I am bound because I allow myself to be bound? Whoa now Nelly, calm down and find your happy place before you burst that bulging artery in your neck; because, yes…yes I did. I am going to assume that a majority of you fine readers out there in the inter-web are Christians and this is why you have chosen to peruse my humble little blog here; and if that is indeed the case, then you have one distinct advantage over those who are not, and that is that you have already been set free.

The Bible says in John 8:31-36:

“³¹ Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³² And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ³³ They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” ³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

It moreover states in II Peter 1:3-4:

“³ as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, ⁴ by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

In both the passages of scripture I just referenced, the author-who is the Holy Spirit by the way just to clarify-clearly states that if one comes into contact with Jesus and is transformed into a new creation; then, you are no longer bound but instead have been set free. Now that being said, let me clarify a bit. In both scriptures there are contingencies that must be met in order for one to truly walk out the freedom that has been given to them. For instance, Jesus states in the first passage that only by “abiding in My word” will you be his disciples and that that word will make you free. Now the term “to make” signifies that a process is being started in the person who, if they continue in it, will be made free. If continuing in Jesus Word makes one free; then one can likewise assume, that if a person makes the decision to discontinue abiding in the Word, then they will then stop being in a state of freedom, and will then be back in a state of bondage.

Moreover, in the second passage of scripture we are informed that by the power of God we have been given exceedingly great and precious promises; and through them, we have the power to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. Moreover, we are likewise told that we have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness. So, if we have already been given the power to overcome the world and to live life in a godly manor; then as the passage states, we will escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. Or in a different term, we will no longer be slaves to lust and sin; but rather, we will be a people who walk in freedom.

So, if both passages are to be taken as truth and believed; then, we can make the deduction that if we are still slaves to our old sin natures, then it is because we are allowing it to be so. Put those pitchforks down and put the pyre out and let me finish before you burn me at the stake! Honestly, I wish I could blame the devil, my circumstances, Hilary Clinton and just about anything else other than myself for all of the times I have allowed sin to continue in my life; but as I went to the word in order to study up on freedom, I found that 99.9 percent of the time it was my fault and mine alone. Peter talks quite candidly about this subject in II Peter 2:19-22 when he says:

“¹⁹ While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. ²⁰ For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. ²¹ For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. ²² But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,”^[e] and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

You see, Jesus already paid the price for my freedom when he went to the cross and resurrected from the dead. He already took back the keys of death and hell, and then through his love, grace and power transformed me into a miniature version of Himself. God Himself removed me from the place of servitude and slavery and restored me to my natural and designed place as a son and joint heir with Jesus Christ; and if this is the case, then if I then return to a place of slavery and bondage it is because I have chosen to. Now, that is not to say that without Jesus it is at all possible for me or you to walk in freedom; but what I am saying rather, is that He has already done the work and given us the power to walk in that work. Yes, we all fall and we all struggle; but, as we allow the Word to do its work in us and make us free, then we should find that sin reigns in us less and less and freedom more and more. We often talk about grace and how through it we can have forgiveness of sins, and this is very true; but Paul lets us know in no uncertain terms in Romans 6:1-4 that grace is not an excuse to continue to live as a slave to sin when he states:

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ² Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? ³ Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Again we see in this passage of scripture the idea that we can and should walk in freedom; or as Paul put it, newness of life. In fact, Paul talks even more about the freedom we have through Jesus further down in Romans 6 when he states:

“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ⁹ knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. ¹⁰ For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Here Paul in no uncertain terms that we should see ourselves as dead to sin but alive through Christ Jesus. In other words, my old man is dead and buried with Jesus and just as He was raised from the dead and death and sin has no hold over Him; it no longer has any power over me because, I have been raised with Him and have that same power of freedom working in me.

Moreover, he goes on to state further down that it is our choice to walk in this freedom or not when he states:

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³ And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! ¹⁶ Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? ¹⁷ But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. ¹⁸ And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. ¹⁹ I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.²⁰ For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ²¹ What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²² But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Paul clearly states in this passage that it is our choice to walk in the freedom Jesus has given us or not. You see, what we give our lives to is what we become a slave to. In other words, if I continue to give my mind over to thoughts of sin; then, I will continue to be a slave to sin. On the other hand, if I give myself over to Jesus and to the word then I will instead walk in freedom and newness of life. After all, Jesus has already done the work and it is simply my job to walk in what He has already done. So then, if I am still a slave even though Jesus has done the work for me; then I can make the deduction, that it is because I am still choosing to be a slave.

Warriors and heroes we have been given freedom and salvation and it is now our duty to go out into this world of slaves and bring them the same freedom we have been given; but we cannot do that, if we are still walking around as slaves ourselves. Ours is a message of hope, restoration and freedom, not one of bondage to sin. We offer more than just forgiveness and love, but freedom and salvation as well. After all, if all our God has to offer is doctrine and theology, then what are we doing here? Thankfully, He is far more than just words on a page or a religious concept. No He is the All Powerful God who crated heaven and earth. He is the God who came down to earth in the likeness of a created man and paid the price for our sin. He is the God who raised Himself up from the grave and overcame death and hell; and He is the God, that has the power to back up all He said he will do for us and in us. You see heroes, He is the God that backs up our message of hope with the power that makes it more than just hope, but truth. 

Heroes Rise!

Welcome back true believers! Wait, I think that’s someone else’s catchphrase. How about: welcome back Heroes! I like that better. Why you ask? Well, because one thing I have learned over the last few decades of this life; is that we all have the potential to be heroes. We may not all have the opportunity to run into a raging inferno to save a lost puppy, or have the great misfortune of taking a bullet for a wayward kitten who has found itself owing a loan shark money; but, we can all be the hero in the story that is our life. Heroes take on many different forms and some are very outwardly noticeable; while others exist, hidden in plain sight never receiving the accolades they deserve. No matter the vintage of hero God has designed you to be, today is the day to suit up and get in the fight.

For years I wore a plastic Green Lantern ring that I had bought for a costume party. It was kind of bulky on my finger and I think it was even noticeable from space. (Well, at least it was from the spy satellites that I am sure are watching us. Seriously though, I am not paranoid. WHAT WAS THAT?? Never mind, it was nothing. ) A lot of my friends chided me on my fashion choice; but, I dutifully put it on my finger as often as it was prudent to wear; which for me, was especially when I was leading worship. My geekdom aside, I had a very specific God inspired reason why I wore the ring. You see, we all have a choice as to what kind of person we will be in this life. This choice is not just a onetime event where we are called by God to some grand and extraordinary calling; but, it is an everyday, every moment choice. You see, we are not defined nor made by just one event; but rather, by every moment no matter how small that moment is.

Why did I wear that ring? I wore it to remind myself of whom and what I was. I wore it, so that when sin, disappointment, fear, anger, hatred, sickness, trials and tribulation or anything else that this life and my enemy can levy my way raises their ugly heads; that, I would remember who I was and what I had to do. I am, and so are you, a child of the Living and All Powerful God. I am, and so are you, a Christian. The term Christian was first coined in the city of Antioch as a nickname to describe followers of Jesus. The term literally means: little Christ or little anointed one. Whereas, it was first used as almost a novelty term; it, later on became a term of hope that stuck and is now considered the most widely used cognomen for a follower of Jesus. There is no definitive historical date that one can look to to show where exactly this term became the predominant name to describe the church; but for me, it is telling that it did. In my opinion, the term describes perfectly what God did inside us and who we should be as CHRISTIANS; and that is, little clones of our Heavenly Father.

Before you fall into the current diatribe of the church and tell me that we are nothing more than sinners saved by grace, I would like to show you in scripture where God tells us we are so much more than that. In II Corinthians 5:17 Paul writes:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Moreover, in II Corinthians 3:18 Paul likewise writes:

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

 I could quote a hundred such verses; but for posterity, I will just use these two. In both of these verses Paul describes the process of salvation. In the first verse he tells us that the old person that we were has literally passed away and we have become new. In the next verse he tells us that the longer we behold Christ the more and more we will be transformed into the same image. Do you see the correlation here? In one he tells us we have become new; and in the other, he tells us that what we are becoming is like our father in heaven, which is the image we are beholding in the mirror.

Now, I am not buying into the false doctrine  that states that we can become gods like Jesus was; but rather, I am saying that Jesus made a way for us to be transformed back into what we were always meant to be. He made a way for us to be transformed back into what we were created to be from the start; and that is, children of God who were designed and fashioned in His image. It stands to reason, that if Paul understood, as all Jewish people did; that if God created man in His image, than the image we are being transformed into is the image we were always designed to be.

Now, Paul does describe this transformation as a process that happens from Glory to Glory; but, what exactly is this process. The process, is not God constantly having to do a work in us; but rather, it is in us walking out the work that has already been done in us. This is why Paul likens it unto looking into a mirror. The more you look at the image, the more you become like the image. If Jesus had to somehow find more power for you; then, His sacrifice on the cross would not have been enough. Since we know that Christ does not have to go back to the cross daily; we can make the assumption, that the work has already been done. In fact, the bible states in II Peter that, “he has given us all things that pertain to life and Godliness.” This is where the choices I was talking about earlier come in. Every day we have a choice as to whom and what we will be. We can either give in to the sin nature that killed us to begin with; or, we can walk in the work God has already done for us on the cross and live as Christians who walk in the same power and authority as the God who created us. You see, God has already provided the power for you to break the chains of sin in your life and to choose to live free from it. Paul expresses this process very well throughout the entire book of Romans; but for me, Romans 6:6 states it the best.

“Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin"

Through Jesus Christ we have found love, grace and forgiveness; but, we have also found freedom and power. I have asked myself lately why we have not seen the church growing as they did in time of the apostles, or even like in the time of our fathers. If we are truly honest with ourselves we will see that the church is not really growing at all. Why is this? Currently in the church we have seen a resurgence of the doctrines of love and grace; so much so, that we have even at times taken them too far, and begun to teach that people no longer need to repent and change in order to be excepted in the family of God. Even these extreme doctrines have not really produced any lasting or significant growth in the Body of Christ. So if love and acceptance are not enough to bring people back to God, than what is it we are missing?  

What is missing is hope. What is missing is not Love and Grace, but Power. Why did the term Christian take off and is still with us today? It is because it became synonymous with hope and power. People knew then that if they needed help they could find it from a Christian. People knew that where ever they found a Christian, they found God; and with God, comes all the power and freedom of heaven.  People knew that if they were sick and nothing in this life could save them, then they needed to find a Christian; because, their God had the power to heal anything. People knew that if they were lost in addiction, then they needed to find a Christian; because, their God had the power to free them. People knew that if they were oppressed or even possessed by a demon, then you needed to find a Christian: because, their God has power over demons. People knew then that if they needed grace, love and their hearts healed then they found a Christian; because, their God had the power to bring all of those things and more.

People if we want to see the Church grow and people set free, then let us be heroes again. Let us be Christians again. Let us be people who not only walk in love and grace; but also, in holiness, freedom and power. Make no mistake however, this is not about being perfect; but rather, it is about throwing off the imperfect and embracing the perfect power of God that is available to us through His sacrifice, love and grace. Let us all be little cities on a hill whose light shines like a beacon cutting through the darkness of this life that brings hope to a lost and dying world. My favorite line from Dr Who is from the 50^th anniversary special where the weapon Rose tells the War Doctor what happens when people hear the sound of the TARDIS. She says,

“You know the sound the TARDIS makes? That wheezing, groaning? That sound brings hope where ever it goes. To anyone who hears it, Doctor. Anyone. However lost. Even you.”  

This is what we should be as Christians. We should be ambassadors of our Father in Heaven and His kingdom; the hope and the light. Children of God lets remind this world again that where ever you find a Christian, no matter how lost you are, you find hope and the power to overcome anything, even death itself! Heroes let us rise!

Disappointment the Enemy's Weapon of Mass Destruction

Proverbs 23

Genesis 4

Isaiah 61:3

Psalms 100:4

Have you ever felt like the world is crashing down around you? Like every second of this life is filled with nothing but heart ache and troubles? Have you ever experienced that crippling pain of disappointment and defeat? Has life beat you down to the point that you no longer feel like it is worth living? Are you a person who is literally down on his knees crying out for answers that you fear will never come; and, you scream at the sky questioning God’s love and goodness. Of course, then you realize that the source of your sorrows is merely a small scratch on your brand new car; so, you get up off the ground, pretend you dropped your keys and hope that no one saw what you were really doing. Actual true story by the way.

Come on now, I know I am not the only person to ever allow his faith to be shaken and to throw a tantrum over something that was really just a minuscule incident in the grand journey that is this life. As my pastor in Florida used to say, “Most of us are like the rest of us.” I agree whole heartedly with that statement, and I have found it to be true most of the time. In fact, it is one of the reasons why the enemy always seems to know exactly what buttons to push in order to drive us over the edge.

As a strategist he is a master, because he has been analyzing and engaging with every make and model of person since the beginning of creation. There is no personality type that he has not seen, no anomaly that he has not come into contact with and not mastered how to defeat. This is why our illustrious enemy knows that the most powerful weapon he has in his arsenal to bring us quickly and completely to our knees is DISAPPOINTMENT.  Yes folks disappointment always has been and always will be the most potent assault you will most likely ever face.

Oxford Dictionary’s definition of disappointment is: the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one's hopes or expectations. So, what you are saying then is that the enemy has the ability to affect the outcome of my life and to actually stop my hopes and dreams from coming to pass? Well, not exactly. The enemy really does not have the power to sway the outcome of your life; only God and you have that power. But, the enemy does have one potent tool that he can and will use against you, and that is disappointment. Disappointment is not so much an act or incident as much as it is a state of perception. You see, what the enemy does is take your circumstances and situations and attempt to change your perspectives on them. If he can sway how you feel and believe on a matter, then he can essentially change your perceptions and annihilate your faith. He can, in effect, make your faith in effectual. When you are seeing your life through the filter of disappointment rather than the filter of faith you will never ever be able to overcome. In fact, if you are crippled by disappointment you will find that even the most minuscule of engagements will send you running with your tail between your legs. The bible says in Proverbs 23:7: as a man thinks in his heart so is he. (KJV) This scripture talks about the power that perception has to influence a person’s heart and change even the very fabric of who he or she can and will be.

Disappointment effects not only what you think and feel, but also your actions as well. A person who is reacting out of disappointment will say and do things that he or she would not normally do, because they are so deceived in their perceptions that they actually believe they are justified in their actions. Even though there are many examples I could cite from the Word of God showing how this principle has worked on people in the past; I will however, only highlight the one story that I feel is the best example of how disappointment can twist a person’s perceptions. That, my good people, is the story of Cain. 

Yes folks, the first older brother ever to exist. Seriously though, I am an older brother and I find that the enemy used his very same tactic on me. Just because you love your younger siblings does not mean that you do not wrestle with comparing yourself to them. In Genesis 4 God gives us the story of Cain and Abel. Cain’s offering is rejected by God, whereas his brother Abel’s was not. The bible says in verse 5: “Cain was very angry and his countenance fell.” Here we see that almost immediately disappointment’s ugly fingers are making a play for Cain’s heart. Now, we find God’s response to this in verse 6 where He attempts to encourage Cain rather than chastise him when he says, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” We all know the inevitable outcome of the story; but, I do not personally believe that Cain was just always a murderer waiting to happen. I truly believe that what happened was that at this very moment disappointment took root in his heart and drove him to commit an act that he never ever would have committed before this moment. 

In this story we see just how twisted a person’s heart and perceptions can become when they allow disappointment in.  Disappointment so twisted Cain’s perceptions that even though God told him exactly what he needed to do to change; Cain felt, that his only option was to kill his brother. Wait now, how can anyone become so deceived in their heart that they could possibly think that murdering their brother was, not only their only course of action, but justified? It may be hard to fathom, but here we see just how quickly a person can become so deeply deceived when disappointment is in play in their hearts.

I think it is so telling that God uses the very first story of mankind after the fall to show us just how devastating disappointment can be; and even though this story paints a very grim depiction of life, there is hope. You see, for every weapon the enemy can bring to bear against us, God has a far more powerful counter measure. You do not have to be a Cain. You do not have to allow disappointment to cloud your sight and to affect your attitudes, emotions and actions. Moreover, if you have already been a Cain, you do not have to stay one. There is more than hope for you, there are answers.

 The first is to cultivate a heart of thankfulness. Thankfulness is one of the natural counter measures to disappointment. Whereas disappointment tells you that you have been wronged, Thankfulness reminds you that you are greatly blessed. You see thankfulness gets your eyes off of what you feel God and life have not given you and on to all of the good things God and life have brought you. In effect, thankfulness tips your perception back to the side of light and life and away from darkness and despair; and, it works just a quickly and completely as disappointment does. If Cain had heard what God was trying to say to him and had been thankful for the fact that God had lovingly told him the way instead of allowing his heart to focus on only the current rejection; than instead of killing his brother, he would have redoubled his efforts and brought a sacrifice that could have been accepted. 

The second tool God has given us to counter disappointment is PRAISE. I want to make a distinction here, because I am not talking about Worship but praise. Worship is a different animal all together, and even though it is important, it is not the tool God has given to combat disappointment and depression. That distinction is quite clearly given to praise in the Bible in Isaiah 61:3 when it states that we should “Put on the Garment of Praise for the spirit of heaviness.” Praise works almost exactly like thankfulness; because when we praise, we force our souls to get our eyes off of everything else and to put them on to God and how great He is. So in his way praise is also a tool that God uses to change, not only our perceptions, but our very circumstances and realities. In fact, the bible clearly states in Psalms 100:4 that we cannot enter into the Holy of Holies without both thankfulness and praise, that’s how completely important and powerful these two tools are.

 People, it’s time to throw off the chains of disappointment that cloud our hearts and make our lives miserable and unbearable. Through Jesus you can do this; because no matter how far you have walked the paths of disappointment and no matter what you have done, God is greater still and He can and will move to change even the very fabric of reality for you. After all, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the One Who Was and Is and Is to Come, and there is nothing or no one in this life or the next that can stand against Him!