The New Life, Inc.

Beware Slavery

Jesus came to set the captives free; we were all slaves to sin and through Jesus we are no longer slaves. Or are we?  The question is, are we still slaves even though Jesus set us free and what are we slaves to?

We came into this world as sinners, not that a little baby can sin but it will not be to long before they do. We were in bondage to sin or slaves to sin; we try hard not to sin and we still do. Why is it that we don’t like ourselves; it is because of our sin, our failing’s and our shortcomings?  We hurt one another in our speech and actions; we are slaves to our bodies, souls or emotions and our natural minds. Jesus came to set the captives free so that we could become spiritual men and women and not be slaves to our natural man but rise above it.

I have noticed an interesting thing with many Christian people.  Because they have a desire to be good our enemy Satan uses this to bring them into the bondage of religion. Satan does not care how religious you are as long as he can keep you from being spiritual and being led by the Holy Spirit. He used this religious method to defeat Christians from the beginning of the church. Do you know that Satan is in the clothing business? He is in the business of making religious suits and dresses. He gives them away free to you and me. When ever we go to church, we put on our religious clothing and we are different people. We speak different. We act different! As soon as we are out of church we take our religious clothes off and carefully put them away till next time they are needed.

Religious slavery is very subtle but it is slavery just the same. There is a religious spirit in this world and it has enslaved many millions of people including Christians and it wants to enslave you. This religious spirit is an enemy of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and it wants to enslave you and rob you of your spirituality. This religious spirit has attached itself to every religion in the world. This religious spirit is not interested in you becoming spiritual! It wants to rob you of spiritual life and leave you simply religious. You are the one who has to be on guard that it does not rob you. 

One Body Lots of Parts

There is one thing that is a very real hindrance to many of us in our spiritual growth. I think Paul put it in very clear terms in 1 Corinthians 3:4.

For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollo’s,” are you not mere men?

The question we all have to ask is; “Am I a mere man?” The question isn’t what church you go to. The question is; what is my attitude toward these other churches? Do I look up to them? Do I look down on them? Some of them are very different in their music, in their expression of praise and worship. Some of them put a lot of emphasis on the bible, while others put a lot of emphasis on ritual and tradition and still others on the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

God has blessed Pauline and I. He has given us the opportunity to experience many of the parts of the body of Christ. We have come to appreciate the bible and the ritual and traditions as well as the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Don’t listen to negative stuff about other churches. There are some in the body of Christ that spread dissension, they need healing. Don’t let their poison infect you. Go around the stumbling stones that other mere men have placed in your way. Don’t be afraid to check these other churches. I am not telling you to leave your church. You would be wrong to cut yourself of from friends and neighbors. Go with an open mind and heart and experience some new things and let God bless you.

We have been greatly enlarged by other parts of the body with various labels like Pentecostal, Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Lutheran, and too many others to list. We have friends all over the country and they all belong to different parts of the one body of Christ and their faith is anchored in Jesus Christ. Become something more then just a follower of Paul or Apollo’s!