Feeling Trapped?

An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. [Proverbs 5.22]

Ever feel trapped by circumstances? Solomon teaches that this is in fact the reality of sin.

How quickly we are convinced however that this does not apply to us. "I'm not an evil man..."

In all of today's OYCB reading we are given every reason to trace trouble back to sin. And yet we insist, "I'm not an evil man (or woman)..."

Solomon's instruction in today's reading mostly involves sexual sins. Since "none of us" have the problem of sexual sin, we are tasked then with discerning the allegorical meaning of these teachings. Without irony, the allegory is no less damning than sexual sin itself.

Marriage is something God instituted and He did so for a very specific reason. Because our relationship with God is directly correlated to marriage between a man and a woman, adultery is directly tied to idolatry. Here is God's attitude about idolatry:

“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. [Exodus 20.4-6]

What things are idols to us today? Based on the content of the passage above, idols are identified by the affection given them. Affection is identified by the priority something is given. Ready for this? If we don't have time to pray, then we have given priority (affection) to whatever it is that we do instead. If we don't have time to read the Bible, then we have given priority (affection) to whatever it is that we do instead. Do I need to continue? I think not. Anyone who has ever neglected God (undeniably indicated by where their time is spent), is an idolator - an adulterer - and needs to repent.

So... Whether we are lusting after someone else's spouse or neglecting to spend time with God giving that time instead to work, family, or pleasure, we are adulterers - we are idolators! Regardless what we call it, the penalty for either one is the same - captivity to troubles of lasting effect.

Meanwhile, as we deny any such participation in idolatry or adultery, we are tasked with sorting out the feelings of being held captive to the troubles in our lives. It must be a faith problem, right? Yes ...and no.

Our troubles are only a faith problem as we understand that our sins are OURS and that Jesus paid for them by His death on the cross. If our understanding of Jesus' death on the cross does not include repentance (turning away) from our sin that put Him there, then no amount of faith will alleviate our troubles. Jesus' entire ministry was based on these: repentance and faith. In fact, the beginning of Jesus' ministry (after His temptation in the wilderness) is summed up in Matthew 4:

From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” [Matthew 4.17]

Based on this summary in Matthew's Gospel, it would seem that repentance is the environment in which faith works. I fear that Christendom today has bypassed the repentance part. Consequently, faith then frustrates more than it helps captive disingenuous unrepentant people. The proof is in the results of their "faith." Unless we get back to what the Bible teaches about repentance being the environment in which faith works, we secure a place in hell for all who "believe" without repentance.

Until our pulpits demand repentance, the largely fruitless faith teaching will continue. Miracles, on the other hand, will flow much more naturally among genuinely repentant people. Faith teaching, outside the realm of genuine repentance, glues (ensnares) hearers to the temporary frustration of ongoing problems on earth while keeping them ignorant of their eternal destination in hell.

Society's overwhelming pride and arrogance have infiltrated the Church. Until we prioritize the need for preaching to the end of repentance over teaching to the end of knowledge, the Church will remain powerless. Sadly, most of the teaching in the Church today focuses on what we will get. In contrast, preaching to the end of repentance focuses on giving up everything for Jesus and the Cross.

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! [2 Timothy 3.1-5]

This is not a time to feel sorry for ourselves or make excuses for our lack of faith. It is the time to repent and be set free indeed.

Father, forgive me for presuming to "walk by faith" outside the humble attitude of repentance. It was my pride, greed and lust that nailed Jesus to the Cross - I am responsible for that. My declarations of "faith" have been little more than self-centered mockery of all that Jesus died for. Forgive me for passing off the conviction of Your Holy Spirit as "condemnation," and therefore ignoring it. Forgive me that my life does not look like Jesus' life and that my works do not look like Jesus' works. God, the implications of what my life looks like and the troubles I experience all say one thing: I am not in Christ and Christ is not in me! Forgive me, LORD! I don't need a good feeling - I need forgiveness. Save me from myself and the perverse system of powerless religion I have participated in and promoted. I am nothing without You. I confess Jesus! But in so doing, I confess my self-preserving, self-serving, self-centered, self-justified, SELF-CAPTIVATED ways as SIN!