There are some physical addictions that are more difficult to shake than others. There are some that need to be handled with care because the addiction is to something or has gone on long enough that quitting cold turkey could actually harm or kill a person. But that's the physical issue, which is not really the issue at all. From the easiest, no physical component, to the deepest physical bondage, once the body has broken the reliance and rid its system of the remains, the addiction is broken and done....once again, we are talking physically. But the fact that the body no longer needs or even wants whatever the addiction was, does not make us or keep us free. Because mentally, emotionally and, most importantly, spiritually, we are still messed up and will put that poison back in our body, even though it isn't needed and could kill us.
The physical aspect is a component, but it isn't the issue. And if we are really honest with ourselves, many of us do not want to quit whatever it is we are in bondage to. We like our chains and our sin. It's not always fun to die to self. It's never fun for the selfish old nature. We don't want to be miserable anymore. We don't want to continue to suffer negative consequences, and we don't want things to get worse. We don't want to lose the people and things we are in danger of losing. Or, we want to get back the people and things that we have already lost. But we don't really want to quit. We just want to be the master. We want control.
If sin didn't control us, but we could somehow find a way to only sin a little, at the best times and with no damage, destruction or death, wouldn't that be great? Sounds good, I guess, except that it is as impossible as a human being living without oxygen. We can hold our breaths for a few seconds, or with effort, a few minutes, but if we don't breathe we die. And if we do sin, we die. There is no, this really won't hurt anything sin.
Now wait a minute, not all things that cause bondage are in and of themselves wrong or sinful! You're right, but what does that have to do with anything? It doesn't matter to me, except in my concern for you, what is bondage and sin for you. Nor are my issues necessarily yours. If God hasn't told you not to do something, and it is not bringing destruction and problems into your life, than enjoy. I tip my hat. I have plenty of friends who love God and drink beer. Alcohol is not a master of their life, and it doesn't hinder their relationship with or seeking of God. So, I don't believe it is a sin for them to drink. If you have liberty to eat and drink, do so, if you wish. But for me, to have a beer with a game would be a flat out sin. We are not all called to the same walk with God. I can not safely consume alcohol and not lose control for long. I can not serve God and drink simultaneously. Therefore, I can not drink and remain in God's will for my life. But I might be able to enjoy whatever it is you can't.
"I have the right to do anything," you say--but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything"--but I will not be mastered by anything.
- 1 Corinthians 6:12
There are things that aren't necessarily sin that aren't a good idea. But if it's not an issue for you, walk in the liberty you have and be grateful for it. The issue is not to squabble over what is and isn't OK. If it's bondage for you, if it's outside of God's will for you, it's sin for you, no matter if every other person in the world who ever was, is or ever will be could do it with impunity. Remember, there's only one person in history, Samson, who brought ruin into his life by getting a hair cut.
Often times we argue about what is and isn't OK, because we're upset at someone else's ability to engage in and enjoy things we can't, or we are trying to control the lives of others, or we want to prove something is not sin and therefore justify our doing it, even though we know it's not right for us. We don't want to stop. We want to control and eliminate consequence and excuse. But you can't always get what you want. So, for many of us and with many things, it's all or nothing. And when it comes to issues in our life that are outside God's will for us, it's always all or nothing. There is no OK to have a little taste of sin. We need freedom from the desires of the flesh so that we can walk with God by the power of the Spirit.
We say we can have freedom and then say that our issue is something we will always have to deal with. Seriously? My God is not that small. If yours is, perhaps it's time to consider an upgrade. Once an addict, always an addict.
So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
- John 8:36
I say things like, my name is Dalyn, and I am alcoholic, or my name is Dalyn, and I am an addict from time to time. I declare from the pulpit that I'm a junkie and a drunk and left to my own devices I will drink and drug again. Because it is true, and so that those who need freedom can understand that I have been in bondage myself. But alcohol and drugs are not something I deal with anymore. That's a non-issue for me. Sorry. I know it goes against conventional wisdom, but that's the truth. I don't get up in the morning and decide how I am going to deal with my disease or what I need to do to stay sober. I haven't worried about what to do to stay sober in a long time.
I don't have that disease anymore. I have been set free by the One who is able to make us free indeed. I don't worry about staying clean and sober. I worry about following Jesus, loving Jesus, getting closer to Jesus. As long as I do that, I don't even have to consider sobriety. In fact, I'll be too busy learning other things I need to deal with in my life, and accessing grace to find freedom from them to be fighting battles that are already won. Drugs alcohol are not a fight anymore, but I am not totally free of bondage in other areas. There are still sins that need to be defeated. If I never quit kicking the dead thing that's already been defeated, I can't move on to even deeper and richer freedom. Don't settle for victory. Don't quit when the obvious brute of gambling or porn or heroin or whatever your issue is, has been beaten.
We can live so terrified that the beast will rise that we lose our freedom. We become slaves of a dead thing. We haven't had a drink in seven years, but we live each day terrified of falling back into the grips of a disease that has been destroyed. I'm talking about Christians who are scared of sin.
That fear is not wise caution. It is spiritually unhealthy obsession. Remember your Egypt so that you can help lead others to freedom through the wilderness, but not because you're afraid you'll go back if you stop dwelling on it. When we do that, the focus is wrong. You're focusing on the defeated foe, afraid it will rise back up. But if you simply keep your eyes on and walk closely with the Champion who defeated it in the first place, not only will in not get back up, ever, but you will learn that whatever had you in bondage is not even close to all that you need freedom from. The closer I get to God, the more I can see by His light that I am a stranger to His holiness and ways.
The Christian life of freedom is not about learning not to screw up anymore. It's not about avoiding the shame of moral failure and struggling so much to stay right that we can't enjoy life. It's not about learning to control ourselves so we can be better or good people. It's not about meeting some standard. It's about walking with Jesus, by grace (His power) and loving God and others. Not fighting old battles, but moving forward with Him, for Him, and by Him.
It's not about earning God's acceptance, love or help. You can mess up every day or never again or some combination. God loves you and welcomes you regardless.
Real freedom is freedom from the opinions of others. Above all, freedom from your opinions about yourself.....God loves you as you are, not as you should be.
- Brennan Manning
The message of Jesus is not that we need to live a certain way or abstain from certain things or we are failures. He totally opposed and opposes that message. We're already failures! We are already slaves and captives in need of being set free. We are already broken and in need of healing and restoration. We don't need religion or to remain vigilant against sin and the former things of bondage. We need relationship with the One who died to make us truly free to walk with Him.
The good news is not that you can manage never to drink, drug, gamble, look at porn, overspend, overeat, whatever, again. It's not that you can escape and never have to be chained to that thing again. It's that we can have the chains broken and destroyed and breathe easy because we can go on with the journey of our life with God without having to look over our shoulder or at every hiding place in front of us in fear that our old master will jump out and drag us back into captivity. We can be free.
And ultimately, freedom might mean you never drink, drug, gamble, look at porn, overspend, overeat, whatever, again, but never doing whatever again doesn't always mean you are free. Only Jesus sets us free. The bondage to not doing something can be as miserable as the bondage of doing it. Life and life more abundantly does not include fighting the battles that have already been won for the rest of that life. But if the solution is less than the true and complete freedom of Christ for us, then we can never know freedom from fear of the monster rising again.
Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.
If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.
No comments:
Post a Comment