Showing posts with label captivity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label captivity. Show all posts

Sunday, July 22, 2018

Freedom from Sin

Whenever we find ourselves without full control due to a bondage of body or mind, we are in captivity.  It is always easier to appreciate something that you no longer have, and freedom is definitely one of them. But ironically, it is when we subject ourselves to, or submit to a captor that it becomes worse, because not only are we at war with that which is oppressing us, but we are at war with ourselves.
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
Galatians 5:1 KJV
Through his sacrifice, Christ has made us free from the ultimate consequence of sin. He has also given us access to God the Father who can give us peace of mind in a world and time saturated with confusion from the desires brought on by sin. When we acknowledge that we are indeed free from the bondage of sin, we must pursue God, who has given us this freedom. As with anything in life that we are trying to turn away from, the pursuit of sin must be replaced. And in order to grow and elevate spiritually, we should set our eyes toward God. If we realize our freedom and independence, yet still continue to sin, confusion will prevail and our testimony is more faint. As Christians, our job here on Earth is to bring souls to Christ. And the only way to bring souls to Christ is to share Christ through love.
"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."
Galatians 5:13‭-‬16 KJV
We are Christians, and as such we need to show it and act like it. Once again remembering that in reciprocity for the freedom, we should honor God and be like him, and show others God through us.

"As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God."
1 Peter 2:16 KJV
Perhaps the most important aspect of freedom is to be accountable to maintain it and embrace the responsibility of remaining free. Having been in bondage, we should know when we are walking the edge or seeing red flags that may lead us back to the very thing that so recently controlled our lives. Bondage via music, food, television,  speech, thoughts- those things that ultimately influence an area of our lives where God should be dominant. To stay free of these things, we should remain in prayer to God, to change our hearts, that we might desire only those things that God has for us, and surround ourselves in God's way. For it is only in Gods way that we are and will truly remain free.

We pray blessings upon all who have read. We invite you to follow us on social media as well! Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Independence and Freedom (pt. 1): Deliverance from Decisions

The celebration of Independence recently, proves to be a great reminder how coming together in numbers against an enemy will cause an oppressed people to become free. As this July 4th celebration has become an extravagant annual happening, there is another similar event in past history that shows a nation being liberated from an oppressive people. The Israelites, in the Bible, were brought to be captive slaves on multiple occasions and freed every time. But sometimes oppression is a direct reciprocity to actions of negligence by the receiver. For example, the Israelites, though the chosen people, were proving themselves unworthy of representing God and of receiving God's promised inheritance. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.(Psalms 106:39 KJV)

For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.(Psalms 78:58 KJV)

As a Divine Parent, God can not allow his children to fall into transgression without there being any consequences. Though the discipline is difficult to administer, because it is a derivative of love, it must be done. The presence of trials at times may in fact be God's way of molding us and giving us the opportunity to learn once again how to trust him and to give him his due praise, before He delivers us. Independence and Freedom on any level is a gift from God and to take it lightly is, in essence, not appreciating it. As the phrase goes, ”We do not know what we have until it is gone.” It would be a terrible tragedy to experience the absence of God, so in order to avoid this, we simply must envelop ourselves in God and allow him to consume us as a fire. Then we will not need to be concerned with returning to God, because we will already be with God, waiting patiently, in safety, knowing that He will bring us out and back into his arms.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord , thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.  And I will be found of you, saith the Lord : and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord ; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Jeremiah 29:11‭-‬14 KJV