Psalm 19: 30 – 45
One of the road blocks to the Christian faith in the counter-culture scene, is the idea that Christianity is based first and foremost on submission. This is thought to be contrary to the hardcore/punk scene ideology of rebellion and questioning of authority. Because God has given us commands and rules to live by, that takes away freedom.
Whether or not the Christian faith life belongs in the hardcore/punk scene is a whole ‘nother discussion. It’s the idea that God’s commands are designed to make us slaves is the focus of this devo.
We all live our lives in bondage to many things that we have no control over. We can’t make ourselves shorter or taller. We can’t change skin color (not even Michael Jackson). We can’t change our heritage. We cannot erase our sins. We cannot stop sinning by our own power. This world that we live in cannot offer us any real freedom from these things. Especially in the sin department. No matter how much we try to alter ourselves in piercings, tattoos, hair coloring, laser surgery, lifting and tucking, lipo sucking, breast enhancing, butt reducing, dieting or body building, we can’t change our sin.
We also can not break the bondage of time. None of us can stop the clock We can not escape from death. The graveyards are getting fuller everyday. Eventually you will end up there too.
As we can see, we all live in a horrible bondage that we cannot change. Jesus Christ came to do what this world cannot do: set us free from sin and death! In his Word is the promise of eternal life. When his Word instructs us in how to overcome sin and resist temptation, that’s not a control thing, that is giving us freedom from that evil!
Vs. 32, 44 + 45 that we just read express this well. “…you have set my heart free! I will walk in freedom…!” When we are obedient to God, it is not slavery. He is freeing us from the very thing that we have no ability to be free ourselves from. Following him and his directions show us the way!
Thank God for his freedom from death and sin!
- Richard M.