**Inspiration for this post provided by Rend Collective
The other day in my literature class we were discussing a
piece written in the early 1900s. We talk a lot about the context of the time
and place the piece was written in order to know what may have influenced the
author. For this particular piece, it was noted it was written in a time (early
1900s) when and in a place (Dublin) where the church was still a big player,
greatly influencing day to day life. We also began discussing the images of
freedom versus bondage/imprisonment the author was trying to convey.
Putting these two ideas together brought forth a loaded question from
my teacher: “What does religion do to people?” He paused, awaiting an answer
and I braced myself for what might be said. No one offered an answer, so he continued:
“Religion puts you in bondage. It imprisons you, telling you what you can and
can’t do. It takes your freedom.”
My heart sank at his answer. I didn’t know what to expect when he posed the question and the gravity of his answer hit me like a ton of bricks.
My heart sank at his answer. I didn’t know what to expect when he posed the question and the gravity of his answer hit me like a ton of bricks.
Sometimes, after we sin, we feel immense guilt and shame, a
heavy burden on our shoulders that we just can’t shake. I know there are times
when I can’t even bring myself to talk to God, I am so ashamed of myself. I’ve
brought myself to tears, I’ve put myself down saying I’m so terrible and I don’t
know how God can still love me or give me another chance. I know I would’ve stopped
giving me chances a long time ago. I let the weight of my guilt push me down
until I feel like I can’t breathe, like I can’t see any hope. To me, that is
bondage and imprisonment.
But God is always there, reminding me to look at Him. To see
the beauty of his sacrifice. To see and feel the freedom I have in Jesus.
He pulls the weight of guilt off of me, reminds me that Jesus held that burden
on the cross. He took it then, he takes it now, and he’ll take it every time,
forever. I need not feel guilty anymore. I can remember Romans 8:1-2, which says: “there
is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law
of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of
sin and death.”
We don’t need to be slaves to this world, to sin. We don’t
need to be slaves to guilt and shame. In fact, if we are in Christ we are
already no longer slaves to sin. We have been freed. We are free. We can conquer
sin and we can conquer shame for “we are more than conquerors through him who
loved us.” (Romans 8:37)
My teacher’s answer shows the reality of the depravity of
the world. The world doesn’t see following Jesus as freeing or joyful. They see
it as following a set of rules, having no fun in life and acting like slaves.
How easily the devil has them blinded to that fact that they are in fact in
bondage now. It is only through Jesus on the cross that we can be freed from
that bondage. Only through Jesus that we can be more than conquerors.
