Truth

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free"

What truth sets us free? And what does it set us free from?

I believe any and every thing that is “true” when we LEARN it and then ACT upon it can set us free in particular areas of life. For example; when you learn the TRUTH that it’s an apple a day that keeps the doctor away NOT a Twinkie a day…, then when you exercise this new found truth, you then are liberated, or set free.

Here is something that may shock you coming from me, a pastor; Religion, or Christianity (or whatever you call it) can and often creates the most painful bondages in peoples lives today. Now, before you get mad at me; Religion, or Christianity (or whatever you call it) can and often does liberate people from their bondages too.

How can both be true? Simple, it depends on what your religion/parents taught you about God growing up. I believe there are two gospels being proclaimed today (I am sure there are many more than that, but that makes it easy for me in this blog to say two)

1) Gospel of the LAW – It’s Legalism, it’s based upon your performance (i.e. How long you pray, how many chapters of the Bible you read , how you dress, how many good deeds you do, or how many bad things you don't do, etc. )

2) Gospel of GRACE – It’s freedom; it’s based not on what you or I do, but based on what Jesus already did on the cross. God loves you, period. Whether you pray for 2 hours a day, or pray 1 minute a day, whether you read 3 chapters of the Bible, or non at all, whether you wear a suit or sweats.

The problem with the Gospel of the LAW is that its power based … meaning if you “perform” better then others you have the power. And actually it’s if you ACT as though you “perform” better then others you have the power. If I can make people think I pray an hour a day, when I actually do not, then I am spiritual… in their eyes anyway. It’s not about reality, it’s about a façade. What front I can put up for people to see. It’s what I call living a lie. AND this friend, is HOW religion causes bondage in people’s lives. It causes people to HIDE, LIE, COVER UP … they keep their dark places buried, because if anyone sees who they really are, or what has happened to them or if people see their hurt, their pain then people will know they aren’t perfect. And I am learning that people don’t want people to know they do not have it all together.

Christ came to FREE us with the TRUTH; and the TRUTH is GOD LOVES YOU no matter what!