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Millions of people are in spiritual bondage, which is taking its toll on their health. If you are a Christian, this should not be happening to you; if it is, we'll be reviewing some good news that will unshackle you if you choose to believe. We will try to stay basic, to avoid controversy. So consider this good news for good health. If you are not a Christian, greetings, and welcome to our discussion. Spiritual Bondage—Not everyone is in spiritual bondage, but if you think you may be, then keep reading (there's some good news for you). Bondage is the result of feeling too unworthy to be loved by God. You see yourself a sinner in the hands of an angry God. You recognize you have not lived fully in harmony with God's will…you have fallen short, and you are desperately seeking to do something that will make up for your shortcomings. Perhaps you are looking for a certain good quality within yourself or good deed to show your worthiness to God. Maybe you are seeking some outward evidence that God has accepted you, such as a special anointing or gift from God.If this describes you, you're on the right track. You have heard the still small voice (1 Kings 19:11, 12) of the Holy Spirit, and you realize that you, along with every one else, are falling short of God's glory (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8). Good job realizing this, because this is a prerequisite to receiving the solution. The Solution—Here's your first full dosage of good news: God is not out to "get you". In fact, beloved, God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to buy you back (or redeem you) from a sentence of condemnation. He didn't ask your permission, He just did it because of His grace…His great love for you (Romans 5:6-10). The wonderful result is that He re-wrote your history from condemnation to justification. Look at Romans 5:18. The Deal—Your part is to accept what God did to you in Christ some 2,000 years ago. Since being a Christian is participating in the life of Christ, and not a set of rules, all that is true of you in Christ gets credited to you when you join Him by faith (Romans 4:5-8). Here's how it works: read Romans 6:10, 11. By faith, you are actively considering yourself to be dead to sin and alive to God just as Jesus died to sin once for all. |
Your active choice in asking to experience the life of Christ is granted to you via the Holy Spirit, and you are now united to the Source of eternal life, which is in Jesus (1 John 5:11). The Experience—You are a new creation (2 Corin-thians 5:17), and the first fruit of that is peace with God. But guess what - your converted mind will still fight your carnal nature for the rest of your life. You'll have ups and downs as did the apostle Paul (Romans 7:15-25, 1 Timothy 1:15), but as you learn to walk in the Spirit your character will more clearly reflect that of Christ (Colossians 1:27). The key point here for you to be unshackled is that this process called sanctification does not contribute one iota towards your title to heaven. Rather, it witnesses the salvation you already have in Christ through justification by faith. This is demonstrated by some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty (Matthew 13:23). The Result—Friend, do you now sense a peace with God? The importance of understanding this correctly cannot be underestimated. You are now free to love God because you are safe in His loving arms. You are His child, and He first loved you. You no longer have to go on some pilgrimage or check off a set of rules to elicit God's love. Simply respond to His grace, knowing that your are undeserving of His love, and appreciate Him more. Oh, and let Him love others through you. Your Forever Friend—Feed upon the word of God daily and get to know Jesus as your best friend, not a mere historical figure. Let the Bible fully equip you for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16, 17), and come up with your own favorite promises, which may or may not be the same as those highlighted here. The neat thing is that a whole different set of verses could have been selected to say the same thing, so it's your turn now! Last Thoughts—One thing is sure: your faith and therefore spiritual health is largely tied to hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17) over and over again. If you haven't experienced a rich appreciation for the Bible, do so today. And as your spiritual health improves, so will your physical well-being. In closing, friend, remember something that is always true: God loves you! |
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