I’m free, praise God!
Killing Jesus, Bill O’Reilly’s book which sets the crucifixion of Jesus in
historical context, reveals the depravity that gripped the ruling class of
Rome. Our Savior came into an ugly,
brutal world. The nobility of the empire were not noble. Murder was a sport.
Pedophilia and other sexual perversions were rampant. They oppressed the
poor with confiscatory taxes used to field vast armies and to build cities in
their honor. Conquest provided vast armies of slaves for the empire. The cruelty of the Romans was legendary. Students
of history know that the Romans were not the first, nor the last, people who
built an empire on the suffering of others. They were not and are not unique in
their sins.
As I read about
the brutality of that era, I wanted to distance myself from it. I wished to comfort myself that such things
could not happen in my world, but
they do! Sex trafficking is on the
increase, with younger girls being dragged from poorer nations to serve the pleasures
of those who are rich. (see http://ijm.org/) Economic disparity between the rich and poor
grows wider as rich nations and corporations cooperate in exploitation of those
who have no access to power. This is the world of which I am a part.
But, thank God I am free from the sin that once dragged
me down. The Bible tells me, and all who are alive in the Spirit because of
faith in Christ Jesus, that depravity is past tense. After a long list of sins,
the Word says, ‘that is what you were.’ - "Don’t
you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don’t care
about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each
other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don’t
qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom. A number of you know from experience what
I’m talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you’ve been cleaned up and
given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present
in us, the Spirit." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, The Message)
In Christ, I am
given the ability to choose live nobly, to serve God, and to defeat dark
depravity. Look how the Word explains
this. "You, however, are controlled
not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. ...
But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is
alive because of righteousness. … we have an obligation—but it is not to the
sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful
nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the
body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of
God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but
you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The
Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we
are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if
indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his
glory." (Romans 8:9-17, NIV)
Don’t misunderstand me. I am not claiming
perfection. I fail daily to live to God’s standard of gentle love and selfless concern
for others. But, I am not a slave to the sin that once controlled me. I am now a servant of God, with an obligation to live by the power of the
Spirit. What a difference that will make!
In the Roman empire, just a century after Jesus walked the earth,
Christians went to the far corners of the depraved, darkness empire and served
the least, the lost, the broken, the powerless.
The power of the Spirit working through them brought light and life, hope
and joy, to millions. They were known
for their compassion. Were they
applauded and admired? Not by those in power!
Those who held power recognized the threat of the Gospel of Christ and
killed Christians by the thousands in a vain attempt to put out the Light.
Christian, we are
free to love, free to serve, free from slavery to sin, Self, and Satan. Will
you reach out to our Abba and pray to live in a way that you bring liberty and
life to others? This mission caused the
depraved to hate Jesus and they killed Him!
Those who love their darkness will hate those of us who love the Light,
too. But remember, “if we share in His suffering… we will also share in His glory.” Let’s go change the world, one life at a
time.
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