Do You Believe in the Bondage Breaker?

Monday, October 27, 2014

"For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate" (Romans 7:15). 

 Hey Gang:  I did it again!  I promised myself I would never do that again, but zappo, I fell off the wagon.  Did you ever say that?  Do you have a tough time breaking old habits?  It is a known fact that New Year's Resolutions last about as long as it takes to write them down.  I wonder if people even make such promises today.  Do You?

 You might not believe this but in my earlier years I smoked.  Yes, I really did.  And then I got married and along came a little bambino and I made up my mind (well sort of) not to contaminate my home and family with smoke.  So, I quit, and then I fell off the wagon, and then I qui,t and I fell off the wagon, and so I quit and the beat went on and on.  I learned, too, that each time I failed I did not return to the previous levels of the habit but in each case it was increased.

 Smokes were sticking out my ears and nose and under my arm pits - just joking of course- my conscious just felt that way.  And then one day I confessed, "Lord I am a bust, I cannot quit this habit that is taking money from my family (and at that time cigarettes were less than fifty cents a pack), stinking up the car and house and certainly not doing much good for my lungs.

 After 189 attempts or so, I finally confessed to Father God I do not have the guts to say no and break the bondage.   Paul tells us the key to breaking bondages is to "Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful.  Let the word of Christ richly dwell with you, with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father" (Colosians. 3:15-17).

 I believe most would agree that Paul was one tough hombre and was an example of what it means to walk by faith.  But notice what he said, prior to telling us that he found himself doing things that he ‘hated’:  "But I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.  For what I am doing I do not understand; for I practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate" (Romans. 7:14-15).

 Been there! Said that! I have often sensed a little of his frustration when he cried out, "Wretched man that I am!  Who will set me free from the body of this death?"  (Vs. 24).  But he does not leave us dangling he went on to declare: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are Christ Jesus.  For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death" (Romans. 8:1).

 Sooo, my friends, Jesus said: “If you trust me I will be your bondage breaker!”  Tough?  Yes, but keep in mind Jesus words, "Let your actions and words be yes, yes and no, no for everything else is sin." 

 (Matthew 5:37) I could not quit cold turkey without God's help.  Now we have 57 different varieties of little round pills, tons of mind games and a vast number of so-called bondage breakers, but take it from an old salt, the only thing that works is prayer and fasting and giving to the Bondage Breaker the thing that holds you captive.

 Blessings,

 Gramps