Bondage

Romans 7:14, “For we know the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage of sin.”

So much has converged together to give birth to today’s post, the least of which is not the song below. The song says, “There is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain.” Something that I wholly agree with but rarely see, and as a result believe it is an injustice to think every chain must be broken. How many addictions are judged in the name of Jesus? We declare the power of Jesus to break ever chain, and then condemn those still bound by those chains. And if we don’t condemn we devalue the person.

Surely everyone knows who Joel Osteen is. If not, he is the pastor of the largest church in America. But how many people knew Robert Franklin? If not you should read my posts about him. Does anyone think that Joel is more godly, holy, or closer to God than Robert Franklin was while on this earth? Does anyone think that intelligence plays a factor in being aware of the presence of God? Does anyone think that an alcoholic or drug addict can’t love God? Are we not all sold into the bondage of sin? Are we all bound by the limitation of our flesh?

I would say to you that we all are, but that our spirits equally have unlimited potential. I would argue that our soul, that part of us which will be judged, are identical in being able to develop into the character of Christ. Robert Franklin was born into a body where his brain did not function normally. Should Christ have broken that bondage? Should Jesus have healed him of his mental deficiencies? The apostle Paul had a “thorn in his flesh.” Should Christ have broken that chain, or was His word true when He said, “my grace is sufficient?”

One thing that I can tell you is; what made me fall in love with Robert was not the comical mess his brain could get him in or spew, but how we would talk about the presence of God. Some would dismiss it as his mental illness, but Robert had a real living relationship with Jesus, and he would tell me about his encounters in the most nonchalant matter of fact ways.

I write this to remind myself of something God told me years ago. He said that He hides treasures in the people that offend us most. If we will get past the offense then He will give us a key to unlock the treasure. I have a dream of a body of Christ without judgment. One where those who struggle against addiction… key words “struggle against” are welcomed by the body of Christ. Where alcoholics, drug addicts, thieves, homosexuals, mentally unstable… every form of outcast is welcomed, and where Jesus breaks their chains, not our condemnation.

For those who struggle with the bondage of addiction I encourage to struggle on, hoping, praying, begging Christ to break that chain completely, but be confident that your failures in that struggle are still covered and made holy by the blood of Jesus. For those who have never struggle with an addiction, I would say count your blessings because it pulls on your flesh like a super magnet. I say this as someone who has overcome nicotine, but who also has to often say no again and again. But greed is just as addictive. Co-dependence can be a sinful addiction that pulls on our flesh so hard it moves our soul away from God. Power and control are as addictive as alcohol. So lest you think you are above the bondage of sin, think again. The Pharisees thought that and Jesus told them, “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.” There were no stone throwers that day.

I think in the end we all need to understand that we are not this flesh that surrounds us with all its desires and weaknesses. We are the soul housed within. The flesh… it is in bondage of sin. We simply must struggle against it, knowing and trusting the grace of God through the blood of Jesus is going to more than make up for those days when we fail miserably in that struggle. Like Robert Franklin we all have our deficiencies, but likewise we all have the capacity to connect to God in spite of them. With regards to breaking the chains of bondage completely and forever. That is God’s responsibility. Of course we ask for Him to, of course we believe He will, but we can never judge a man or woman when He has not.