Freedom in Christ

Who's your Master? My friend Edward Oleander has again asked me to explain the important differences between Biblical Christianity and other religions. Although I believe that I have previously provided a good explanation, it seems as though I should provide a different angle on these differences. And so, today's topic is Freedom in Jesus Christ for the elect.

I started by asking who is your Master. The Apostle Peter understood the deceitfulness of sinful desires in people when he wrote 2 Peter 2:9: "For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved." And so, if there is something that overwhelms us, makes us feel as though we are out-of-control, this sort of desire is described by the Apostle Peter as enslaving us. We are the slave. The sinful desire is the Master.

This is why Jesus in His teaching made clear that He came to set the captives free. Luke 4:18; See, John 8:31-36; Free from the penalty of sin (death); free from the chains that sin wraps us in; free from the law, and the desire to prove ourselves 'righteous' based upon our own actions; and free from the guilt that we need to do something 'more' in order to have God be pleased with us. Instead, once we have become born anew in Christ's sacrifice and resurrection, we are free; we no longer have to follow our sinful desires (although sometimes these desires have a nasty way of returning.) We are as Martin Luther described at the same time as being both a saint and a sinner.

Here are three verses that are helpful to me that speak of the freedom provided to the followers of Christ:

2 Corinthians 3:17 - Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Galatians 5:1, :13 - For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery… For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another

Romans 6:22 - But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

If you would like more to read about on the topic of the Freedom in Christ, Romans chapter 6 and the entire book of Galatians are excellent places to start.

Finally, the great benefit that this Freedom provides us is that we can enjoy all of God's creation. God has created this world for us to enjoy (Genesis 9:3; 1 Timothy 4:4; 1 Timothy 6:17). He has given us spouses so that we can enjoy the wonderful pleasure of physical love with another. He has given us all things, not as traps for the unwary, but as a blessing that points us to a loving Creator (1 Corinthians 8:6). Yet Jesus wants us to consider others in our use of this Freedom, so that we do not injure other Christian's consciences (1 Corinthians 8:12). Yet the rule stands - "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12). The Christian is free to enjoy all of God's creation, with a thankful heart.

The examples of the use of this Freedom are shown in the Apostle Paul's writings. There were those in the early Church who thought that the Hebrew dietary laws (e.g., forbidding the eating of pork, etc.), yet both Peter and Paul showed we are Free in Christ from the dietary restriction; There were those who taught the Church should follow the Hebrew law of circumcision, yet we are also Free from this requirement; There were some in the early Church who worshipped on Saturdays (the Sabbath), and some on Sundays (the Lord's Day). Yet, Paul made clear that this was not important, because we are free in Christ (Colossians 2:16). What a terrifically clear teaching of Paul in 1 Corinthians 8:8, where he writes that if we follow one of these laws/rules, God does not love us any more nor any less. "We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do."

In conclusion, the Freedom that Christ provides His followers is something totally unique among religions. Other religions teach that we reach out to God through our actions – and their god in this life rewards good actions, and punishes sinful actions. Yet, the promise of the Bible is that out of thankfulness for God's Grace, and the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, we grow in our desire to trust God, and to grow in our own personal holiness. And do not forget the importance of a Christian living their life guided by the Spirit of Christ. The "fruit" of a life guided by the Holy Spirit is one filled with love for others, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 6:22). And who doesn't want this kind of life, that is a result of being a follower of Jesus Christ? Free in Christ - /s/Tom

A Miracle of Healing

Praise God Who is a Living God, and Who cares about our troubles. Today's post is my testimony of a healing that has taken place, all glory to God:

I have been battling MRSA / drug-resistant staph for several years. It came back again this past February, with an infection on the back of my left calf. I had three lumps, one of which was opened up by a surgeon at my Clinic. The Clinic's physicians put me first on one anti-biotic to treat the infection, and then a second anti-biotic. The second anti-biotic helped a bit, but by the time the prescription ended a week ago Friday, my left leg was already swollen to one-third again the size of my right leg. Last weekend I was discouraged, and I felt crappy / nauseous, with an upset stomach. The swelling was increasing, and I know from my previous experience with MRSA, that once my leg swells and the lumps appear, that in short order the lumps will spread and grow in size quickly.

So I went last Sunday to our Church (Hosanna in Lakeville) and attended the Alpha course of which I am a table leader. I went to the Leader's prayer meeting beforehand, and the Alpha Facilitator asked if anyone had a bad week, and when no one else raised their hand, I raised my hand. Approximately eight other Alpha leaders came around me to pray for me. All I said when they asked what they could pray for me was "health". And they prayed for my health.

That night I felt fine, but I didn't think anything special happened. But something strange happened. I kept going to the bathroom. And going, and going. I had previously scheduled an appointment for this past Tuesday with an Infectious Disease Specialist to take a look at my MRSA, and get me on the right medicine to fight my leg infection. But by this appointment my lumps were gone. The swelling of my left leg was gone. And after examining my whole body, my doctor said that "there was no active infection" in my body. The MRSA was gone!

God healed me by answering the prayers of those friends, and family who prayed for me. He also answered the prayers of those Alpha leaders who prayed for me this past Sunday. I love seeing God's miraculous answer to prayer, and I want to sing His praises for what He has done to help me. Thank You Lord for healing me through the answer of prayer. In Christ's name I give this testimony, Amen.

MRSA (and Something Worse)

MRSA (or drug resistant staph), is a difficult to treat infection. But as difficult as MRSA is, I came across this article in the New York Times that describes something even worse:

1).    Gram-negative Bacteria Far Worse than MRSA. (article here). A very interesting article, I recommend it highly to everyone. Here is a portion:

… Acinetobacter baumannii, or the Gram-negative germ is one of a category of bacteria that by some estimates are already killing tens of thousands of hospital patients each year. While the organisms do not receive as much attention as the one known as MRSA — for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus — some infectious-disease specialists say they could emerge as a bigger threat.

That is because there are several drugs, including some approved in the last few years, that can treat MRSA. But for a combination of business reasons and scientific challenges, the pharmaceuticals industry is pursuing very few drugs for Acinetobacter and other organisms of its type, known as Gram-negative bacteria. Meanwhile, the germs are evolving and becoming ever more immune to existing antibiotics…

"In many respects it's far worse than MRSA," said Dr. Louis B. Rice, an infectious-disease specialist at the Louis Stokes Cleveland V.A. Medical Center and at Case Western Reserve University. "There are strains out there, and they are becoming more and more common, that are resistant to virtually every antibiotic we have."

    Tom: This is scary stuff. And the NY Times' charge that the pharmaceutical industry is not pursuing treatments for Gram-negative's treatment looks to be a failure of the system.

2).    New Book – SuperBug, the Fatal Menace of MRSA. Author Mary McKenna has written a new book that will be published later this month. Here is a portion from the book, (which can be found here):

LURKING in our homes, hospitals, schools, and farms is a terrifying pathogen that is evolving faster than the medical community can track it or drug developers can create antibiotics to quell it. That pathogen is MRSA—methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aureus—and Superbug is the first book to tell the story of its shocking spread and the alarming danger it poses to us all.Doctors long thought that MRSA was confined to hospitals and clinics, infecting almost exclusively those who were either already ill or old. But through remarkable reporting, including hundreds of interviews with the leading researchers and doctors tracking the deadly bacterium, acclaimed science journalist Maryn McKenna reveals the hidden history of MRSA's relentless advance—how it has overwhelmed hospitals, assaulted families, and infiltrated agriculture and livestock, moving inexorably into the food chain. Taking readers into the medical centers where frustrated physicians must discard drug after drug as they struggle to keep patients alive, she discloses an explosion of cases that demonstrate how MRSA is growing more virulent, while evolving resistance to antibiotics with astonishing speed. It may infect us at any time, no matter how healthy we are; it is carried by a stunning number of our household pets; and it has been detected in food animals from cows to chickens to pigs.

Ms. McKenna called me up last year to interview me, as someone who has had several bouts of MRSA, for her book (nothing I said is being used), and so she was gracious enough to let me know about the release of her upcoming book. It looks like it is going to receive some major national attention.