How can we experience true freedom in Christ?

  

Question: "How can we experience true freedom in Christ?"

Answer: Everyone seeks freedom. Especially in our life, freedom is the highest virtue, and it is sought after by all who are, or consider themselves to be, oppressed. But freedom in Christ is not the same as political or economic freedom. In fact, some of the most harshly oppressed people in history have had complete freedom in Christ. The Bible tells us that, spiritually speaking, no one is free. In Romans 6, Paul explains that we are all slaves. We are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness. Those who are slaves to sin cannot free themselves from it, but once we are freed from the penalty and power of sin through the cross, we become a different kind of slave, and in that slavery we find complete peace and true freedom.



 Although it seems like a contradiction, the only true freedom in Christ comes to those who are His slaves. Slavery has come to mean degradation, hardship and inequality. But the biblical paradigm is the true freedom of the slave of Christ who experiences joy and peace, the products of the only true freedom we will ever know in this life. There are 124 occurrences in the New Testament of the word doulos which means someone who belongs to another or a bond slave with no ownership rights of his own. Unfortunately, most modern Bible versions, as well as the King James Version, most often translate doulos as “servant” or “bond-servant.” But a servant is one who works for wages and who, by virtue of his work, is owed something from his master. The Christian, on the other hand, has nothing to offer the Lord in payment of his sin, and he is totally owned by the Master who bought him with His shed blood on the cross. Christians are purchased by that blood and are the possession of their Lord and Savior. We are not hired by Him; we belong to Him (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 7:4). So “slave” is really the only proper translation of the word doulos.

 
 Far from being an oppressive slavery, the slave of Christ is truly free. We have been set free from sin by the Son of God who said, “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). Now the Christian can truly say, along with Paul, “..through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). We now know the truth and that truth has set us free (Romans 8:32). Paradoxically, through our bondage to Christ, we have also become sons and heirs of the Most High God (Galatians 4:1-7). As heirs, we are partakers of that inheritance—eternal life—which God confers on all His children. This is a privilege beyond any earthly treasure we could ever inherit, while those in bondage to sin inherit only spiritual death and an eternity in hell.

Why, then, do so many Christians live as though they are still in bondage? For one thing, we often rebel against our Master, refusing to obey Him and clinging to our old lives. We hold on to the sins that once bound us to Satan as our master. Because our new nature still lives in the old fleshly nature, we are still drawn to sin. Paul tells the Ephesians to “put off” the old self with its deceit and corruption and “put on” the new self with its righteousness. Put off lying and put on truthfulness. Put off stealing and put on usefulness and work. Put off bitterness, rage and anger and put on kindness, compassion and forgiveness (Ephesians 4:22-32). We have been set free from the bondage of sin, but we often put the chains back on because part of us loves the old life.


 Furthermore, often we don’t realize that we have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20) and that we have been reborn as completely new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Christian life is one of death to self and rising to “walk in the newness of life” (Romans 6:4), and that new life is characterized by thoughts about Him who saved us, not thoughts about the dead flesh that has been crucified with Christ. When we are continually thinking about ourselves and indulging the flesh in sins we have been freed from, we are essentially carrying around a corpse, full of rottenness and death. The only way to bury it fully is by the power of the Spirit within us who is the only source of strength. We strengthen the new nature by continually feeding on the Word of God, and through prayer we obtain the power we need to escape the desire to return to the old life of sin. Then we will realize that our new status as slaves to Christ is the only true freedom and we will call upon His power to “not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires” (Romans 6:12).

9 Helpful Tips To Deal With Negative People

Helpful Tips To Deal With Negative People

Do you have any friends or colleagues who are negative? If so, you'll know they aren't the most enjoyable people to be around. Negative people can  be real downers in any conversation. No matter what you say, they have a way of spinning  things in a negative direction. Some people can be so negative that it feels draining just  being around them. I've dealt with a fair share of negative people in my life. When I was in junior college, I was surrounded by a college population of negative students and teachers. My school wasn't the  best of the lot, so most people inside were disgruntled by virtue of being there.  While I was initially taken aback by the negativity around me, I eventually learned  to manage it and channel it into conscious action. Today, I deal with negativity on-and-off in my personal development work, especially  if there are readers or coaching clients in distress. Rather than be affected by the negative  energy of others, I'm now able to consciously deal with it. Here, I'll share with you 9 tips to deal with negative people in your life:  1) Don't get into an argument One of the most important things I learned is not to debate with a negative person. A negative person likely has very staunch views and isn't going to change them because  of what you say. Whatever you say, he can find 10 different reasons to back up his viewpoint.  The discussion will just swirl into more negativity, and you pull yourself down in the process.  You can give constructive comments, and if the person rebuts with no signs of backing down,  don't engage further. 2) Empathize with them Have you ever been annoyed by something before, then have someone tell you to "relax"?  How did you feel? Did you relax as the person suggested or did you feel even more worked up? From my experience, people who are negative (or upset for that matter) benefit more from an empathetic ear than suggestions/solutions on what he should do. By helping them to address their emotions, the solutions will automatically come to them (it's always been inside them anyway). 3) Lend a helping hand Some people complain as a way of crying for help. They may not be conscious of it,  though, so their comments come across as complaints rather than requests. Take the onus  to lend a helping hand. Just a simple "Are you okay?" or "Is there anything I can do to  help you?" can do wonders. 4) Stick to light topics Some negative people are triggered by certain topics. Take for example: One of my friends  sinks into a self-victimizing mode whenever we talk about his work. No matter what I say  (or don't say) he'll keep complaining once we talk about work. Our first instinct with negative people should be to help bring them to a more positive place  (i.e. steps #2 and #3). But if it's apparent the person is stuck in his negativity, the unhappiness  may be too deeply rooted to address in a one-off conversation, or for you to help him unravel it. Bring in a new topic to lighten the mood. Simple things like new movies, daily occurrences, and common friends make for light conversation. Keep it to areas the person feels positive about.    5) Ignore the negative comments One way to help the negative person "get it" is to ignore the negative comments.  If he goes into a negative swirl, ignore or give a simple "I see" or "Ok" reply.  On the other hand, when he is being positive, reply in affirmation and enthusiasm.  Do this often and soon he will know that positivity pays off.    6) Praise the person for the positive things Negative people aren't just negative to others; they're also negative to themselves.  If you already feel negative around them, imagine how they must feel all the time. What is the person good at? What do you like about the person? Recognize the positive  things and praise him for it. He will be surprised at first and might reject the compliment,  but on the inside he will feel positive about it. That's the first seed of positivity you're  planting in him and it'll bloom in the long-term.    7) Hang out in 3's or more people Having someone else in the conversation works wonders in easing the load.  In a one-on-one communication, all the negativity will be directed towards you.  With someone else in the conversation, you don't have to bear the full brunt of the negativity.  This way you can focus more on doing steps #1 (Empathizing) and #2 (Helping the person). 8) Be responsible for your reaction Whether the person is negative or not, ultimately you're the one who is perceiving the negativity. Take responsibility for your perceptions. You can interpret every personality trait of another  person in a positive  or a negative manner. Learn to see the goodness of the person rather  than the negative. It may be tough initially, but once you cultivate the skill, it becomes second nature. 9) Reduce contact with them / Avoid them If all else fails, reduce contact with them or avoid them altogether. If it's a good friend,  let him know of the severity of the issue and work it out where possible. It's not healthy  to spend too much time with people who drain you. Your time is precious, so spend it with people who have positive effects on you.

Izu Food for Thought...
	Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.