// May 9th, 2010 // No Comments » // Joe's Blog
What does it mean to be free? Freedom has many meanings depending on what you’re talking about right? What does it mean to be set free spiritually? That’s what I’m going to talk about in this blog post. This blog was inspired by Pastor Paul Valo at Christ Church of Orlando, and his message on Mother’s Day about “Being Free.”
Many religions, denominations and cultures that are Christian based all have wonderful doctrines, teachings and ministries worldwide. But the majority of these denominational organized religions delude the simple message of Christ with traditions, rules, man-made laws and ceremonial concepts. It was noted that there was over 650 rules for Christians to try to follow before Christ came to this world. These rules covered everything from marriage, ways to worship and even down to proper ways of pleasing to God of sacrificing animals as atonement of sins. Are we as human beings in corrupt mental and physical bodies expected to uphold all 650 of these rules? Of course not! We can’t as a matter of fact. Our human nature won’t allow it, and even when we feel we’re okay in one area of our lives, according to old biblical doctrine you could be breaking the rules and laws of God.
What happened to all these rules? Where did they go? And why do we often find ourselves following rules that other people set in motion in our own lives, when we should be rewriting the scripts for our futures ahead!? I usually don’t get into religious blogs, but this one, I can’t turn down. One event happened in history that changed rules and laws that governs Christian religious belief and that was the entrance of a Savior into the world. Not only did Christ break down the walls of rules, Christian politics and laws, but He rewrote them in such a manner that even a 3 year old child could understand. How powerful of a message is that! The simple message of “LOVE” was all that Christ magnified. Galatians 5:13 “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” The understanding is simple, the groundwork is elementary yet modern day denominations require some of the oddest cultural traditions that they feel will ultimately get you to Heaven. For example, some churches and faiths believe that woman should never cut their hair, never wear makeup, no jewelry and mens hair should be above the collar of a shirt. It’s true, I’ve actually been to some churches that practice this traditional style of worship. Some denominations even go as far as not allowing any musical instrument in their sanctuary. Is this the right way to worship and be free? By following these hand-me-down beliefs and traditions, will it get you closer to the almighty? Some say yes, I say no. If Christ wanted us to love and serve, then we as his disciples should follow in His footsteps and do just that!
By breaking down the walls of governed doctrine, We as believers are free from the bondage of law and rules that other Christian faiths have mandated for centuries. In doing so, we can do a total 180 and go in the other direction, seeking out our enemies, foes and those that despise us and show them the love of an almighty God. By serving others, you humble yourself, just as Christ did at the last supper when he washed the feet of his twelve disciples. The entire law was summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself(v14 Galations 5). Be faithful and serve those that hate you, betray you, despise you and hurt you. Which leads me to my next topic, churches that have cliques who argue, fuss and fight over the silliest of things. Much like Apple iPhone has the phrase, “There’s an app for that,” The Bible has a verse for the church on bickering members; “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other (v15 Galations 5). Losing site of of Christ’s freedom and arguing will only devour your life’s purpose and God’s ultimate plan for you and your life! How many times do you drive by country roads and see church after church, sometimes spaced feet apart or across the street from each other? If you can’t get along in the house of God now, how can you expect to so the face of the almighty with malice in your heart toward your fellow church members? Many folk, like myself, just don’t join churches because of scars from past experiences due to avid church members that can’t keep their mouth shut on what they feel is right. Wake up, it’s not what you feel is right anyway that matters, it’s how you portray yourself in the everyday world and serve others with love, kindness, humility and compassion that we should be more concerned with.
So I challenge you, if you believe as a Christian, stop for a moment and look at Christs three main principles: love, serve and believe. If your denomination is adding anything else to this equation, you may need to get a front end alignment on your brain and set your feet on the straight and narrow. Back home in KY, I was member of at least 5 churches in 3 denominations. You could say I was soul seeking for the right way, path and answers of life. But many times, clouding Christ’s ground breaking message with handed down ways, traditions and requirements only confuses people. Some people get so wrapped up in attempting to follow rules, they forget to relish in the joy of their own salvation. It amazes me that people spend their entire lives perfectly happy where they are at in their spirituality. They get up Sunday morning, take a shower, get in the car, go to church, make sure all the kids dress right, make sure no one’s hair is too long or short, look at other people’s clothing, and then promptly dismiss church, and the cycle repeats week after week. What exactly are you accomplishing in your life? I challenge you, Christians, non believers or anyone else that reads this blog to simply “DO SOMETHING” with your life. We all have a purpose, a goal and Christ wants us to meet that expectation. Break the redundancy in your life cycle, and evaluate your surroundings. Love, Serve and simply believe.
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45
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