Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

Living in the Bible Belt has to be one of the most under-appreciated blessings. However, it is easy to see why. The common perception of Christianity is a very rigid and legalistic religion; one that is supposedly very biblically-based. However, much of the Bible by many “Christians” is believed to be nothing more than stories or fairytales. They hear stories like that of Jonah and believe it’s just a story for children. They read 1 Corinthians 12 where Paul talks about spiritual gifts, then believe that all miracles, signs, and wonders ended and died when the apostles thats wrote the NT died. They read about the Holy Ghost, and reason that to be a bunch of hoopla yet claim to be followers of Christ. This leads to a very innacurate portrait to be painted of Christ and his church. Because people in the Church don’t understand grace, they hold themselves to unachievable standards and lie to themselves. Then, being so unhappy because their bondage to law and their unprofessed, and usually hidden sin, they condemn everyone around that does not abide by the same laws. Paul, in Galatians 5:1 addresses this same issue almost 2,000 years ago boldly stating that is for freedom that we have been set free. Take it one step further. Christ died for us so that we would never again be entangled with a yoke of bondage. He lived and died to end the lies from Satan that condemned us to death by the law. Even in the OT it is made clear that the just shall live by faith Hab. 2:4. God does not want us to strive to earn his love 2 Tim 2:24, for Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law Gal 5:13. The blessings of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. So this is not twisted to be a call to a life of no action at all, which negates everything that Jesus taught, James addresses those who claim works to all be legalistic. Where Christ died for us to follow him, some believe it is enough to simply know of him. John 14:6 says that he is the only way to come to the father or get to heaven. Matthew 7:13-14 clearly lays this out as a narrow bridge or gate that one must traverse to reach God. Jesus tells us to believe in him, abide in him, and follow him; but most importantly we must love him. His most important commandment when asked in Mattew 22 goes like this is verse 37: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. Jesus means that if you heed that commandment, the rest God does through us. No follower of Christ and lover of God Almighty would murder one of his children. Simple as that. James 2:18 says he show you his faith by his works. That is Christ means when he says let your so shine before men. True freedom does come until we are crucified with Christ, and live; yet not us but Christ in us, so that the life we live now in the flesh, we live by faith in the Son of God who loves us and died for us Gal. 2:20. Upon our on Crucifixion, we die to ourselves meaning – our worries, dreams, concerns, desires die with us. We have taken up the yoke of Christ and now submit to God and his direction by the Holy Spirit. We have freedom from worry because our desires our now starting the process of conforming to the will of God. Once we give him our lives, we understand that he is responsible for our well-being and we must trust his faithfulness and his ability to provide our every need.