During a recent conversation with an MD friend, our conversation jumped from a very controversial “sin” topic to talking about a debilitating disease.
Emotionally, I switched gears from feeling somewhat “opinionated” to feeling overwhelming compassion for the group of children suffering with the syndrome that we began discussing. It was in that transition that I felt like I experienced a moment of clarity and insight on the subject of “sin” and how I, as a Christian should view it…
I’ve come to believe that sin is a sickness and its bondage is symptomatic of the disease… Sin is its own cancer-producing malignant growth rooted in the fruit of a trespassing kingdom. Much like disease, it is something that has the capacity to plague our flesh and its purpose is to rob us of our peace, health, and well-being while ultimately affecting how we relate to God and function in this life…
In Luke 4:18 Jesus declares,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed
Jesus passed judgment on sickness, not by condemning those who are sick but by releasing them from the bondage of their infirmity.
I can’t imagine myself ever condemning someone who is diseased for being sick…Yet how many times have I been guilty of judging someone’s inadequacy or failure to overcome because I refused to see his or her “SIN” for the intruding bondage that it actually is.
Jesus rebuked the disciples when they failed to deliver the power that He had demonstrated for them and commissioned them to carry. I just wonder if it is possible that we have accepted some type of “form” that appears “godly” to us or has become universally acceptable in the church but in the process have denied the power that God intended for us to deliver to this world as his ambassadors.
If we are not walking in the power and exercising the authority to release people who want to be free from their bondage, then, quite honestly I question whether or not we have any right to an opinion at all as it pertains to that which we believe they are bound by.
It’s not enough to believe “sinning is wrong and God could free them…” if we ourselves aren’t walking in a kingdom establishing, yoke breaking, authority demanding capacity as one who is commissioned by Christ to exercise dominion over all the works of the devil.
The Bible states, “Those who KNOW their God will be strong and do great exploits…” Yet, I can’t help but wonder if many of us have redefined an “exploit” in our religious experience as, “a great, emotionally moving sermon or worship service about how awesome God is or could be…” because for many, that’s about the extent of how they “KNOW” Him and is the beginning and end of their “exploit” paradigm…
I’m just convinced there is more.
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