Dogma of Defeat vs. Liberated Life

The other day while driving to work and listening to a radio broadcast, a blog topic title dawned on me-Dogma of Defeat versus Liberated Life . I thought Wow! That’s cool. What an appropriate title for what I believe is a misunderstood biblical concept of what Christian life is about.

The Apostle John recorded these words of Jesus: “I come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” That’s hardly a life of defeat Jesus is offering us. He came to set us free, did He not? How come then that we regularly hear from among professing Christians statements like:

We cannot help but sin daily in thought, word, and deed
Sin is unavoidable
We cannot help it but sin, for we are only human
We will only be free from sin when we’re dead and separated from our physical body

These are statements of defeat, don’t you think? Are we saying that Christ did not accomplish anything at all when He offered Himself as the ultimate Sacrifice for us? The Scripture says otherwise. Consider the following:

Romans 6:6 -8,9-14 (NASB)
6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;
7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,
13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
14 For sin shall not be master over you….

Romans 8:12-14 (NIV)
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.
13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,
14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Galatians 5:19-25 (NIV)
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

So the teachings of the Scripture run contrary to what we so often hear as “humble” confessions of professing Christians.
Jesus has set us free! If we are truly believers who have committed our lives to Him, then God’s Spirit is dwelling within us enabling us to live in righteousness to the glory of God.

Dogma of Defeat? No way! Liberated Life? Yes!
For if the Son has set you free, you are free indeed.

Rebuked Yet Remained

Peter! What a character he was, don't you think? Always the first to react to Jesus' statements. Most often, before thinking it through. It's the case of impulsiveness; emotion over logic; tongue working ahead of brain.

Yes, he was rebuked. Yes, he denied his Master because of fear. Yes, he was all these, but he remained! He knew he yielded to the impulse of the moment and regretted with utter remorse, and he had another chance.

Christ came to offer us a chance to be changed - to be transformed. He knew His mission all along - to seek and save those who were lost. And lost, all of us were. He unreservedly and unhesitatingly climbed Calvary to be crucified like a common criminal enduring the excruciating pain. All for you and me.

Peter accepted the rebuke coming from the most tender look as Christ passed by. He responded rightly and remained. Will you do the same?