Live Free For Jesus
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Janet's Blog
Janet's Blog
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What Happened to Common Sense? A Call to be Wise PT 1
| Posted on 10 February, 2016 at 17:03 |
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The
apostle Paul says “those who are led by the Spirit are the Sons of
God”. In the original Greek, sons actually means “mature sons”.
And Jesus said “the Peace makers shall be called the Sons of God”
In these last days religious mindsets are very much a part of a
Christian's Walk with many. (Rom
8:14 Mt 5:9) Let
me explain the difference. To be a Christian is to have experienced
Salvation and an indwelling Christ.....living and walking with JESUS
having found a union with Him; you ardently believe who He claimed to
be and His Words become real to you; you're looking forward to Heaven
and value prayer until you are there. Religion
is a belief in God with certain rules and regulations that get to be
part of your mindset. They can be persuasive and invasive,
determining your lifestyle and the decisions you make. While many
verses from the Bible exist in religion with man made rules, they are
usually based on certain interpretations...... and having committed
yourself to these, you dare not step outside the square. It
is a square building you attend – since the Roman emperor
Constantine changed the times and the seasons (the way Early
Christians did things) with a square set of rules and theories found
in books (based on the beliefs and disposition of whoever started the
particular sect). Now in making the Church a Sate Institution,
Constantine invited hierarchy into it and man made laws have become
predominant over God's. Jesus gave us two commandments over the ten
that is to “love The Lord your God with all your mind and heart and
strength and your neighbour as yourself” put simply is “to love
Him as much and closely as we do a loved one and to treat others as
we wish to be treated showing consideration and respect”. The
trouble with hierarchy is that Christians started to look to man
instead of God for their guidance, their values, their beliefs. And
that man being fallible started to divide believers into different
religions referred to by the Apostle Paul as sects. When the
scriptures say “looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our
Faith” and concerning the dominating of leadership, “it should
not be so among you”. We
were not called to “lord it over each other” - hierarchy over us
(called leadership) and Christians one over the other as with
opinions and conflicting beliefs. Paul said “that is the way of the
Gentiles” - (contention that exists in the world) that we should
not “give ourselves to divisions” and such. Why did the apostle
say “how is it that some of you say, I
follow Paul, I follow Apollos?” when there is “One Faith and One
Lord of us all”. Further more we are told that “He is not a God
of confusion but a God of PEACE” Paul addressed the behavior of
some Christians saying “you did not learn this from me”.
Sometimes there can be a tendency to alienate each other with our
differences in conversation, and it is the carnal (old) nature that
does this. We are called in Christ to live after the New Nature that
is peaceable and lends itself to reason, not selfish views. I
put it to you that we need to return to “our sincere love of
Christ” and follow Him. Jesus said “if you continue in My
Words you will know
the Truth and this Truth will set you FREE” never mind man's –
they will bind you every time. We are also called to a “sincere
love for each other” and can I tell you that “arguments, strife
and envy” don't measure up to that – Jesus has much better
intentions and expectations for us to Walk with Him. It's a shame
that we let Him down this way.....hey? Seems like He died in
vain when we demonstrate such behavior traits. Those
ways should be left in the world and not carried over into our walk
with Jesus. Let's not “crucify Him over again” with such
distasteful and trivial conduct but rather, grow together into Him
“who is over all rule and authority and every dominion”. His
Ways are better, His Words are LIFE to him who finds them”.
They can help you steer a straight coarse; prosper you in heart and
soul and for the purpose He intends for us; make you strong in this
day and age so you are not shaken and they are “pleasant to the
soul” - that's your mind and emotions. They will build you up and
not tare you down. And the same to those around you. Your company
will be comfortable and inviting to fellow believers and those who
don't know Jesus yet. When
it comes to those in the world, we have not given them a better
reception sometimes than we give to others with religious persuasions
or narrow mindedness. “Broad is the way that leads to
destruction” Jesus said. The enemy of mankind is so busy in the
world trying to lure people away from Christ lest they find Him,
enticing them with all manner of temptations in his mass distraction
campaign. He is also doing
his best to influence Christians. He knows that many of us are
spoiled to the world (awake to certain bondages etc) so he targets us
through religious appeal (things that seem godly) like being too holy
to live in the world; churchy mindsets: too heavenly minded to be any
earthly good, as the saying goes; communicating only with Christians
etc and coming up with all manner of doctrines (teachings) that are
meant to keep people away from a walk with Christ and spoil yours. Some
of these teachings have spiritual appeal, because many people are
becoming aware that they have a spiritual need too, not just
physical, mental and material. And of coarse, the Christian won't
fall for it unless it seems “spiritual”. This is another reason why
you need to stay really close to the Heart and Words of Christ so
religious tricks have no appeal to you. You can stay above them and free of them
because they always have some twist – they will distort your
Christian Walk and lead to bondage of some kind. We are called to be
Free. That is free from bondage; free from sin-nature – a desire
to sin (ways that offend God). Free to experience Peace and Joy that
comes from His Presence. Man's doctrines will alienate you from the
true Presence of God and it's beauty. They need to be discerned. To be continued In Part Two, you will read how we need to be with those who have not found Jesus yet. We tend to forget so quickly how we thought before we received Salvation and maybe how Christians and Religious people came across to us. We need to be wise. |