Picking up where we left off, with our thought.
Truth to Set Us Free from the Enemy's Bondage or the truth about religion. When we come to ourselves in Christ and His ontological essence is functioning within us as God the Father of spirits designed us. We'll see that all that is called religion is not Christ nor is it God. This fact has perplexed me for years as an inward knowing but at the same time a not knowing. I can only say that from an early age I knew that I knew, but I did not fully know. Now for most people that may not make any sense at all but for those who have or may still be in that state of condition do understand my perplexity of soul/spirit. I understood that we're to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness but just HOW was I to do this bugged me. At one time I asked an elderly missionary teacher how to let go and let God. But his comment was that he did not know how, so I was again left hanging as on air. I spent years reading and re-reading my Bible seeking and searching for revelation of this truth. I sought the Lord for help and asked questions of Him but all to no avail or so I thought. Then while we, my family and I were living in the north lands He took me to a few authors that I had not known. One was Watchman Nee another was E.W. Kenyon and through them He began to teach me, to broaden my understanding of Him. But I remained perplexed and at times frustrated beyond belief. I like so many thought that we were to do what Jesus had done during His earthly ministry to Israel as the lost sheep of God's household but soon realized that this was not so. I listened to many preachers during that period but this also left me more perplexed than at the first. Oh, I could name these teachers/preachers but that would serve no purpose and would only lead to the slandering of them, so I'll not do that. Because I'll only give them the benefit of doubt because they're led by the spirit of the world which is a false spirit known by us as the spirit of religion, hypocrisy and deception which binds and hinders God's purposes. For this is the Latin meaning of the word religion, or religare. So He called us out of no less than three times according to my wife's account. At first we did not understand what this meant but over the years He has slowly revealed it to us and this through more teachers that we had no knowledge of. These teachers are William Law, Andrew Murray, Major W. Ian Thomas, Less Feldick, Matthew McGee and James A. Fowler of "Christ In You Ministries" to name a few.
If you abide in My WORD, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the TRUTH, and the truth shall make you FREE . . . that they may know the truth . . . and ESCAPE the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him. John 8:31-32 and 2Timothy 2:25-26
As followers of Jesus Christ, (the Lord requires us to become a true disciple) it is so important that we abide in His WORD. We are called to live in the word of the Lord, He has to live in us, John 6:51 that we might (ought to) know His TRUTH. Then, as we are embracing God's TRUTH, we are impacted by its liberating power.(This is the dunamis power) "The truth shall make you FREE." Bondage from the enemy is one fundamental area where people need spiritual liberation, especially of their minds in order to acquire the mind of Christ. [1 Corinthians 2:16] This is the release from religion and its restraining effects this is what causes our need for the cutting away of the Satan character of a fallen heart. For its with the heart that we come to faith in Christ and this is the work of God's doing within us as Deuteronomy 30:6 tells us: “the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.” This is the exercising of God's promised activity by our receptivity of this His promise.
The entire realm of unbelieving believers, humanity lies under the binding influence or power of the evil one, through religion. "The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" [1John 5:19]. Even those unbelievers who do not accept the truths of God about Satan and sin, or religion are nonetheless captivated by him. Consequently, we are to humbly reach out to them with the TRUTH: "in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the TRUTH, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare and strong holds of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will," spreading a twisted gospel through all of religion and its many religionists or anti-Christ’s. Paul was sent forth to proclaim the Gospel TRUTH that offers freedom from such bondage: "to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God" [Acts 26:18]. The testimony of all who believe in the TRUTH of this gospel (now the Gospel is Christ, just as true Christianity is Christ, He is the good news) is this: "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love" [Colossians 1:13].
The problem of Satan's binding, hindering, restricting influence is not ended at our redemption leading to our salvation. Many followers or believers (though headed for heaven) are still bound in areas of their thinking and behaving because of religion. They are still influenced by the enemy's lies. They cannot make the liberating confession of Paul and his missionary team: "we are not ignorant of [Satan's] devices" [2Corinthians 2:11]. Ignorance of the enemy's tactics will persist in the lives of those who do not know (or will not yield to) God's liberating TRUTH. On the other hand, all who are willing to embrace the truths of God's WORD, will increasingly enjoy freedom from the enemy's lies. They will grow in understanding of, and reliance upon, the victorious purposes of Jesus' coming to this earth. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" [1John 3:8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8].
Dear Lord, I praise You for the liberating truth of Your gospel of grace that delivered me from the enemy's grasp. Now, I need more and more of the liberating truths of Your word that I might not be ignorant of his devious and persistent tactics. Teach me Your truths, Thank You, Amen.
Taken from our daily devotional from the scripture verse down done by Pastor Bob Hoekstra with some editing on our part.
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