"Now
it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples:
and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they
launched forth." (Luke 8:22) In our illustration we have come
to "...the other side of the lake," from the "place of
parables" to the "place of demonstration." We have spoken to
storms and now it is time to set captives free who are bound with the
"Legion of Religion!" We are living in a Certain Day with a certain
destiny to be fulfilled!
"And
when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which
had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in
the tombs." (Luke 8:27)
Remember, this religious devils'
name was LEGION. I believe that Legion speaks of the "pack mentality"
where people behave in a certain way only because others are behaving in that
certain way. We can see it manifesting in the Garden with Adam. He probably
wouldn't have eaten of the wrong tree if Eve had not eaten first. Religion is
filled with the "pack mentality" where individuality is usually
suppressed. After all, we behave THIS certain way at our church, because others
behave THIS certain way, and we have always behaved THIS certain way, and
always will.
Clothes Make the Man
It is important to note that this
man was not CLOTHED. Clothing speaks of our identity, a way to express
ourselves. In most cultures, clothing is a way to identify certain kinds or
types of people. Clothing manufacturers and advertisers know this and spend
large amounts of money trying to convince us that if we wear their particular
clothing, then we will assume the identity that is associated with their brand.
Somehow, the idea of having someone's name (who I don't actually personally
know) splashed cross my shirt or trousers has never appealed to me that much,
but I am the anomaly.
You have probably heard the
saying, "Clothes make the man." In a spiritual sense, this is
actually correct! "For as many [of you] as were baptized
into Christ [into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed
One, the Messiah] have put on (CLOTHED yourselves with) Christ."
(Galatians 3:27 Amplified Bible) "But CLOTHE
yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and make no provision for
[indulging] the flesh [put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of your
physical nature] to [gratify its] desires (lusts)." (Rom 13:14 Amplified Bible)
The religious person is not
clothed with Christ, but rather most are clothed with the self-nature. After
all, it seems that most people come to Christ out of a selfish need.
Unfortunately many stay in that mentality, only seeking relationship with
Christ when they need something. When distilled down to its' essence, religion
is really all about SELF... it is man's approach to God based upon performance.
What Not To Wear
There is a popular show on
television these days called What Not To Wear. Friends or family usually
recommend a person with a very bad wardrobe. The hosts of the show usually
surprise the person, with cameras rolling, and offer them a large sum of money
for a new wardrobe shopping spree in exchange for discarding their old
wardrobe. The show is primarily targeted for women, however I am a bit sheepish
to admit that I have clandestinely watched it on occasion. Many in religion who
profess Christ need a spiritual "What Not To Wear" experience! Paul
says it this way; "That ye put off concerning the former
conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man,
which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24)
The verse goes on to say that the
man, "neither abode in any HOUSE." The word translated as house,
oikia in Greek, means an abode, by implication a family, a household. Many that
are lost in religion are not living in a "spiritual family," a
household of faith with real face to face relationships. This is not really
their fault because of the way religious "church" is done. Just ask
yourself, how many relationships have you formed at the movie theatre, other
than with the people you came with? Chances are, there are not many. After all,
you arrive, you find a seat, sit and watch, then you leave to make room for those
coming to the next show. This is how many churches are run, much like going to
the movies, but perhaps with a less interesting plot. For many, church is a
place to GO TO, a spectator event!
Rather than the bonding of
relationships, the things that hold "religion" together are certain
shared dogmas, doctrines, or beliefs...or in some cases, shared common fears!
Fear will definitely bring people together and get a crowd, but provides a poor
basis for good relationships.
Unfortunately, we can also see
this phenomenon of not abiding in a "house" among those who are not
what we would normally think of as religious. This is the other side of the
pendulum swing. Especially among Kingdom/ Third Day/ Present Truth/ Deeper Life
oriented people, there are those who are just too spiritual (tongue in cheek)
to be part of a local expression of the Body of Christ. They are part of the
ethereal and mystical "universal" body of Christ... in other words,
they do not have the irritation, encouragement and privilege/ responsibility of
being vitally connected with others in a local expression of Christ in His
Body. And sorry to say, but "Facebook/ Online Church" is no
substitute for face to face relationships.
Granted, it is understandable for
those who live in a location where there is not a gathering of like-minded
believers. However there are those who simply choose not to be part of a local
expression, perhaps because they have been wounded in church. Everybody has a
"sad story" when it comes to being hurt in church and some stories
are worse than others, so I certainly understand. I too, have my own personal
"sad story," however I am sure that I am the villain in someone
else's "sad story" of being hurt. And you too, my friend, are
probably the villain in someone else's "sad story"... all these are
opportunities to forgive and to grow.
(To be continued...)
Doug Fortune
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