Freedom or Bondage?

It is right and proper for parents and teachers to teach life skills to their wards but they are almost bound to be biased in so doing. And so we inevitably become indoctrinated and life may not be long enough to free us of such scruples. In a recent post I muted that my parents taught me to wear shoes and to keep dry. But who taught me that church denominations outside the one I was brought up in were suspect? It was never expressed quite like that but that was its effect. Since I don't think that's how God works, I reckon I must have been listening to human reasoning. I remember two girls returning from some sort of Christian camp and being excited about someone there who had been healed - and this being hush-hushed because our church figured miracles no longer happened. It came as a shock, when I went up to Oxford, to find real Christians from other backgrounds.

Too bad that so many of us remain all our life in bondage to what other people think. As opposed to "my yoke is easy, my burden light". Too bad that such bondage leads to stress and stress is a root cause of all manner of chronic sicknesses.

The theory goes: "Your leaders reckon they know the scriptures. So you should listen to and do what they tell. But don't copy their actions; for they talk a lot but do not do as they preach. They bind heavy and hard-to-carry burdens and lay them on men's shoulders. But they will not even lift a finger to move them. They do what they do in order to be seen of men. They make a show in the way they talk and dress, and they love titles and to be known in the right company and to be recognised by men as having a ministry. But you must not be called by a title for One is your teacher, Christ, and you are all brothers. And call no one your father on the earth, for One is your Father in Heaven. And do not be called teachers, for One is your Teacher, even Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever shall exalt himself shall be abased, and he who shall humble himself shall be exalted." (my paraphrase). Whereas in practice I get tied up in knots, literal knots in my stomach, for fear of what people might think, or worrying about what I haven't done or can't achieve.

There is great liberty in the doctrine of "the total depravity of man" - that, without God, you are hopelessly bad to the core. If you can really get a hold of that then there is not much lower you can get. And in good company too with he "who... made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

"And do not fear those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."  Trouble is, I am a wimp - I don't want to suffer and I don't like it when I am dissed. God help me.

True freedom is not being bound to do wrong. "If you continue... you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered: 'We are Abraham's seed and were never in bondage to anyone. How do you say, You will be made free?' He answered, Truly, whoever practices sin is the slave of sin... Therefore if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed."