Free or Slave? Pt. 1

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:31-36 ESV). Most of us have become familiar with our society's way of referring to certain of life's most destructive behaviors. Drunkenness, habitual lying, compulsive gambling, unrestrained spending, these and other actions are termed addictive behaviors in popular literature and by most mental health experts. Others would say that these behaviors make slaves of us. Whether we call it enslavement or addictive behavior, it identifies a harmful component of one's lifestyle and challenges one to take positive steps to get free of its control. That being said, do you know what one of the latest identified addictions is? Religion! That’s right! Religion addicts don't believe in God so much as they believe in some system that is supposed to deliver or manipulate him. According to the emerging theory, there are several types of religion addicts: lazy addicts, who leave everything to God; investment addicts, who believe they have to give something (especially money) in order to get anything from God; and churchaholics, who immerse themselves in religious activity to avoid facing painful realities. It is a dangerous addiction that seeks to kill the pain in one's soul with the shadow of some system. Christianity is not a "system" but a relationship with God through Christ. It is founded on grace, accepted by faith, and lived in joy. Its addictive alternative is founded on human effort, accepted in some all-important ritual or ceremony, and lived in consuming fear. Christian faith liberates, while religion addiction enslaves. The former speaks of accountability to Jesus alone and allows great freedom and respect within a group of companion-seekers of the kingdom of God, while the latter replaces Christ's salvation with approval by a set of human administrators/judges who negotiate one's acceptance within the group, Tomorrow I will give you some practical suggestions in how you may break free of this addiction to religion. However, today, ask yourself the following questions. Do you fear that God will turn his back on you if you do not do enough for him? Do you give money to a church or ministry in order for God to bless you? Do you often tell your spouse or children what to do without explaining your reasons, just because you know you are right? Do you have to check with your minister or a trusted interpreter of Scripture in order to decide your position on some spiritual issue? Do you believe God is still punishing you for something you did a long time ago? Do you think that if you work harder for him, God will eventually forgive you? If you answered “yes” to them, it may mean you have a problem with religious addiction. Pray and ask the Lord to set you free from this enslavement.