And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last. Luke 23:46
As He lived among us and as He died at Calvary for us Jesus gave away everything he had in order to love us and save us. The only thing that He could not give away as He saved us was His Spirit. His Spirit belonged only to God.
The individual human spirit was made to be in continuous connection to God alone. When we as humans live this continuous spiritual connection we escape the power of the flesh and become truly human.
"Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh;" Galatians 5:16-17
No one on earth should ask another human being to submit their spirit to them for any reason. The spirit of any individual should be given in submission only to God through Christ. Our spirit belongs only to God and never to men. Our love belongs to God and to all men.
Secular or religious leaders who ask people for their spirit are asking for something that cannot and should not be theirs to control. People in authority over others can legitimately ask for many things. They can ask for cooperation, submission, obedience, sacrifice and respect. They must never ask a human being to connect their spirit to the leader's spirit in order to live and to be.
"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,"
I Timothy 2:5
The Caesars demanded that the early Christians give them their spirits. The early disciples lovingly gave everything else but refused to give up their spirits to the Caesars who claimed to be gods. For this refusal the early Christians died by the thousands.
Cult leaders even today demand the spirits of their followers and the result is always slavery and death for those who give their spirits to such men.
Even well meaning religious leaders ask for the spirits of their followers to build their empires. In the end, these same empires destroy the leaders, oppress the followers and inhibit the flow of love.
The temptation to ask for the spirit of human beings is very strong among spiritual, secular and religious leaders. Leaders know that the spirit of a man or a woman is the true energy of life in a human being.
Only God in Christ has the right to ask for my spirit. The only man to whom I can safely give my spirit is Jesus Christ because through the Cross He offers me His life and love first.
Leaders must not ask for the control of the spirit of any man or woman. Christians must be willing to follow God inspired leaders and even to die in order love others. Even so, they must be willing to die to all men, including leaders, before they give their spirit to anyone except God.
As always Jesus is our example. He was willing to give all He had in order to love us, but he commited His spirit into the hands of God alone. We must do the same.
Cult leaders even today demand the spirits of their followers and the result is always slavery and death for those who give their spirits to such men.
Even well meaning religious leaders ask for the spirits of their followers to build their empires. In the end, these same empires destroy the leaders, oppress the followers and inhibit the flow of love.
The temptation to ask for the spirit of human beings is very strong among spiritual, secular and religious leaders. Leaders know that the spirit of a man or a woman is the true energy of life in a human being.
Only God in Christ has the right to ask for my spirit. The only man to whom I can safely give my spirit is Jesus Christ because through the Cross He offers me His life and love first.
Leaders must not ask for the control of the spirit of any man or woman. Christians must be willing to follow God inspired leaders and even to die in order love others. Even so, they must be willing to die to all men, including leaders, before they give their spirit to anyone except God.
As always Jesus is our example. He was willing to give all He had in order to love us, but he commited His spirit into the hands of God alone. We must do the same.
"But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." I Corin. 6:17
Bud McCord
Abide International
No comments:
Post a Comment