joyindestructible

There are many slaves in the world today and most of them think they are free. Those discouraged by their inability to live up to moral expectations and feeling shackled by those unattainable demands, reach for freedom by choosing to pursue and satisfy their personal desires. Moral abandon is exhilarating at first but life lived in pursuit of happiness and freedom by following the heart, ends in slavery. There are billions of people in the world enslaved by drugs, debt, gambling, and sexual addictions (to name a few); lured in and trapped by the longing to escape condemnation by seeking personal happiness. Many are blind to their condition and even love that which enslaves them. Their slave-master is Satan that old devil the inventor and master of deception, who blinds and binds his slaves with promises of liberty and happiness; while leading them into permanent condemnation and a second death in the final Lake of Fire. There is no joy in slavery and the future promise of utter destruction.

In the carnal world, ruled by Satan, there is no escaping condemnation. No matter how human beings try to circumvent natural consequences by changing God’s Law, those laws remain in effect. The Ten Commandments live inside every human conscience. Circumventing the direction received from our conscience doesn’t erase that basic Spiritual code of conduct and those who fail to honor it are condemned already. Every living soul, when measured against the letter of that Law, is bound over and sentenced to misery and future destruction. Though people know to do what is good, they are unable to perform it perfectly, and no one measures up to the perfection required by the conscience, God’s divine law. Failing on one point can’t be corrected through adherence to the rest of the code and all are lost when held accountable for their choosing between good and evil. The divine Law, though written in every human conscience, is Spiritual and of God who is Spirit, while people are carnal beings. Escaping condemnation requires spiritual rebirth and the only way to be born-again and become spiritual, is through faith in Jesus Christ. With faith comes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that empowers believers to fulfill God’s divine law and the forgiveness of Christ Jesus to restore them to God when they stumble. In Jesus only, lies the power to find relief from common condemnation. This is the Truth that sets all captives free: Jesus, who committed no sin, died a sinner’s death on the cross and rose to live again on the third day. The only Man unworthy of condemnation suffered as a condemned criminal and died as a substitute, so all the captives of sin could be reconciled to God and delivered from condemnation. Jesus died for us and He lives for us also, showing us the Way to a joyfully abundant life that is eternal life.

Slaves to sin condemned to die, then set free in Christ, become slaves to righteousness. The good works of God purposed to set all people free and rescue His creation from the corruption of sin and death. It is the mission of all believers to set other captives free by introducing them to Jesus. Those in Christ who enjoy no condemnation shouldn’t condemn others who are now, enslaved by sin just as they were once held captive and destined for death. Sin is deadly and is to be hated but those blinded and chained by it are to be loved. Jesus loves sinners so much that He died for us even, when we were consumed by sin and good for nothing but burning. Those of us who were condemned to die but instead of death received eternal life, because God chose to have mercy on us, ought not to condemn anyone no matter how repugnant their sin. The spirit of condemnation is ant-joy and contrary to the believer’s true purpose in Christ. Joy in Jesus is the gift of eternal life that gives the children of God strength. Those who choose to turn from the Grace they received freely and condemn others weaken joy and make themselves ineffectual in their faith. Choosing to love rather than condemn is the right Way to increase joy!

Romans 6:23 For the wages sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.