Don't Live In The Shadows
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Two powerful weapons: shame & guilt trips.
Two powerful weapons: shame & guilt trips.
Over the past 5 years I have seen this becoming the tool of choice in our world.
The goal: conformity & uniformity.
The goal: conformity & uniformity.
There is an innate desire to be like others, or to have others be like us. We want to generalize our experience and make it mandatory for others.
We want predictability.
We want predictability.
Routine may be a better word. We don’t like chaos and so we do our best to limit it. Yet, this is not attainable.
One concern: legalism.
One concern: legalism.
This may have as its foundation good acts, not taking advantage of others, but prevents growth. Legalism runs off track because it focuses on not bad things but the wrong thing. “Don’t, don’t, don’t”
Second concern: Spiritual elitism.
Second concern: Spiritual elitism.
Proclaiming the “special” revelation God has given you in prayer. Having great visions, look at my spirituality. Look at how much Scripture I know compared to you.
Third concern: bondage.
Third concern: bondage.
As good as some things sound the end result is not freedom. Pauls says in
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Elsewhere he also states the following:
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.
The result: worship of self/individual/humans.
The result: worship of self/individual/humans.
A true tragedy. This does not happen just with those who don’t know Jesus but we as Christ’s people sometimes are the culprits of this type of worship. We focus so much on what we are not to do. We focus on teaching others what they cannot do and make sure the world knows the truth of things. We may try to show others as good we are by what we do, in hopes they will notice us.
The remedy: seek Christ.
The remedy: seek Christ.
It is a matter of focus.
It is a matter of focus.
Here is how Jesus said it:
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Then again:
But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.
Our actions will reveal our focus and heart. This is why Scripture can say:
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Practical Takeaways:
Persevere in seeking Christ.
Persevere in seeking Christ.
We must continually seek Christ. Not because he cannot be found, but because to stop seeking him is to stop truly living.
Memorize Scripture.
Memorize Scripture.
We cannot effectively combat, guilt, shame, legalism, elitism, bondage and self worship on our own. We must know what Christ says about us.
Live in community.
Live in community.
Be part of a group. Don’t go it alone. The question for us as a church, how will we support others in ways the encourage community but not uniformity? How can we have diversity and unity?
Live differently.
Live differently.
Paul is going to go in depth about what different may look like in the remainder of chapter
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
Focus on Jesus, the real deal.
Focus on Jesus, the real deal.