In this material world we humans are connected in very strange ways. Quantum physics is confirming many scripture verses that indicate that we truly are all a part of the human family and that we are our brothers and sisters keeper. In other words I am only free as my siblings. What we now understand from scripture and science is that our present generation can awake and choose to become empowered and set a course of freedom for our next generation. It also means that the opposite is true and our generation can choose to pull the covers over our eyes and stay asleep thus handing down as tradition more bondage to our future generations.
For me several questions quickly come to mind. The first, who is my brother or my sister? Secondly, can the choices of my life really free others or cause bondage to come remain them? The Old and New Testaments reveal how interrelated we humans really are. It also reveals just how powerful the individual is as well. If there is any reason to become a disciple of Jesus it is to learn how our lives can positively affect the lives of others.
Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
Romans 5:18-19 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
John 15:12-13 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
Every human since the death and resurrection of Jesus has been empowered to use love, the greatest force on earth to bring about liberty to others. We humans are never more like God our heavenly Father as when we look into the chaos and darkness in our fellow human’s heart and speak light and life to that heart. But too often we grab the easy scriptures of war and try to destroy darkness instead of just turning on the light.
Repentance and Forgiveness are the two edges on the sword of light. Liberty is simply a state of mind but its effect on our perception creates the very material world we live in. The mind of Jesus was at liberty from all material entanglements and scripture testifies that He overcame this material world.
Today many humans remained separated from God in their thinking even though the work of Jesus as the Christ has been complete for over two thousand years. Romans 8:31-39 clearly illustrates that all obstacles between God and humans have been removed and that from God’s point of view we are all His children. But many religious interpretations still perceive human reality as separate from God and bound to this material world and only if we meet the requirements of organizational by-laws can we obtain liberty and become one with God.
If forgiveness and repentance has the power to free us then why do so many remain entangled by an offence that has already been removed?
Matthew 6:14-15(NIV) For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 18:35(NIV) This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
2 Corinthians 2:5-10(NIV) 5 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely.6 The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient.7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.9 Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.10 Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake,
Luke 17:1-4 (NLT) One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! 2 It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. 3 So watch yourselves! “If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. 4 Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”
Luke 3:8-9 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. 9 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”
My goal for this post is to overwhelmingly bring to the front of our consciousness that we have already been empowered to change the world. This is not a job for our Priest, Pastor or Spiritual Leaders this is our job as humans, and children of God. At some point in our existence of reality it will be made clear that each of us has no excuse. Remaining asleep or becoming awake will produce fruit or evidence that each of us will have to live with as we proceed on into eternity.
Therefore I want to encourage us all to take responsibility and show forth the evidence of repentance and forgiveness. We all must awake to the fact that we are entangled as humans and we are all members of the same human family. It is easy to remain asleep and hide behind the borders of our skin. But as the interpretation of scripture and the exploration of science continue to make truth more understandable, we must be willing change our perceptions and shed some old traditions.
God has given each human a gift through the life of Jesus.
John 20:22-24 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”