Freedom from Religion

Today I watched in horror as one of the most influential speakers in the Church today, uttered these words... "It's about sinning no more." He was speaking about the driving force behind healing and ministry. I shook my head in disbelief and rewound the video. Millions of people were watching this man, a man who is respected and loved say that the Christian life could be summed up in three words: sin no more.

Something inside of me lurched and I couldn't help but cry out silently, You've missed the point!

Sin no more? If that's the point of this life we're living, then we're all doomed. Only one being, fully man and God lived a sinless life and He did so not so He could point to His example and say, See, I've set the bar higher, see if you can reach it! He did it to be the avenue through which man could finally reconnect with God.

Connection to Life, that's the point. A Connection to the Source of all Life.

Since the fall we've been operating out of our own strength and wisdom. We've drawn our borders and boundaries based on our own knowledge of good and evil. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that our own knowledge has never been sufficient, and has even been detrimental. Disconnected from the source of Life, we experienced death and destruction. But, God. But God sent a Son to Earth that was sinless and paid the price of our sin so that we could again commune with God.

Saying that trying to live a sinless life is the point of Christianity is like saying that trying not to drink is the solution to alcoholism. When we try in our own strength we are absolutely, positively guaranteed to fail, because we're still disconnected from Life.

One of our Pastors, Bob Hamp, has a saying; that whatever we seek first, will organize our lives. If we seek to be free of alcohol, alcohol becomes our focus. But if we seek the Kingdom of God, if we seek the connection to true Life, all other things will fall in place. If we seek first to try not to sin, it will organize our lives and ultimately we'll end up defeated and bitter. But seeking first a connection to Him, that will result in the wisdom, discernment, and heart change that's required to flee from sin.

We must guard our hearts against entertaining the thought that we in our own will and power have the ability to stay away from sin. It's an illusion that the Pharisees of Jesus' day believed, men that Jesus called broods of vipers! What He was trying to offer them was a connection, an avenue back to intimacy with Him.

That's the point of our Christian walk. That's the path towards Life and Freedom. He's calling out for connection and relationship with us daily. Will you answer?