On July 4 of every year, the United Sates of America celebrates its independence from Britain. Independence can be a good thing in a national sense. When it comes to the Christian life, however, God does not want us to be independent. Independent living is not Christianity but a man-made, devil-induced caricature of Christianity.
I have an ancestor who signed the American Declaration of Independence. I hope he was not independent from Jesus, since he was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration.
Sadly, however, many Christians have signed their personal declaration of independence from Jesus. Who is Jesus to you Their independent living is not a joyful existence.
One of the major lessons of the gospels is dependence. Jesus was totally dependent on His Father God. And Jesus wants us to be dependent on Him.
When people hear our name, Freedom Church of God, they often ask if we are affiliated with any other Churches of God. I often reply by saying, “We are independent of any other entity — except Jesus.” We depend on Him and His Word and the Holy Spirit to determine our doctrine and govern our activities.
Perhaps a better way to describe the tragic independence that is rampant in the church today is to ask this question: are you a cordless Christian?
We live in the age of cordless phones and Bluetooth technology that allows us to be free from wires. These advances allow a freedom of movement never before seen in our modern world. Battery-operated devices can be convenient, but what happens when the battery goes dead and you’re looking for batteries? Jesus wants us plugged in to Him all the time, minute by minute abiding in Him.
We live in a cordless society. When it comes to the Christian life, however, does such a situation bring true freedom? Not at all. We are called to be attached to the true Vine, Jesus. Our Savior said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Living our Lives for Jesus?
Yet one of the most prevalent mantras of Christendom today says, “Live for Jesus!” The deceiver has convinced Christians that they are to live their lives for Jesus. Many of the over 9000 doctrines of demons in the Christian churches today are blatantly false. Others are subtle in their deception. This is one doctrine that has crept into the church and has infiltrated our songs.
In Freedom Church of God we sing many of the popular songs from modern day worship leaders. God has warned us, however, not to sing out words that are false, words that contradict the Word of God. And there are many!
One powerful song pollutes its message quite subtly with the words, “I am free to live for You.” What presumption! Jesus never told us to live for Him, as if He were weak and needed the help. He is not some impotent weakling who needs our help. He comes to live in and through us. He doesn’t say that without us He can do nothing. He says the opposite: without Him living in and through us, we can do nothing.
By the way, we changed the lyrics to, “You are free to live in me.” And yet some of our members get caught up in the emotion of the song. They sing the false lyrics we try to override in our karaoke system as we sing over the artist being played on our stereo system.
God calls us to worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Yet falseness abounds in our songs today.
While it is true that God needs us to speak out His Word to accomplish His will on earth, that ability and grace comes from Him. We can do nothing without His power working in us.
Satan wants us to “give it the old college try.” This means we depend on ourselves but we leave a voice mail on God’s answering machine in times of severe trial. Many Christians do it all themselves, and they cry out to God only in moments of desperation. “What a friend we have in Jesus,” we sing, yet we only want to be friends with Him when we’re in dire need. It doesn’t work like that. Good friendships are cultivated over time. In times of trouble we know we can call on a friend with whom we have established a relationship. Most Christians “go it on their own.”
Satan has convinced about 95% of the Christian churches that they need to encourage Christians to use their own resources, abilities, judgments, and strength to live the Christian life. “Living for Jesus” is a common theme in songs and in doctrine. Too many believers are self-reliant, self-containing, and self-rechargeable. They believe more in themselves than Jesus. They trust they will succeed, prosper, and be victorious on the strength of their own personalities and strengths.