The Guardians of Freedom

"Obey your leaders and defer to them, for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account, that they may fulfill their task with joy and not with sorrow, for that would be of no advantage to you." Hebrews 13:17

The constitution of the United States was written for one reason. It was designed to spell out implied freedom for each citizen of the country. It put limitations on the government which kept the people free.

The sentiment of the early founding fathers was that the government's job was to protect the freedom of the people and that the people had the sovereign right to live free of government oppression and tyranny.

Now we face a dilemma in our nation where the people are afraid of the government and are slowly being brought under its indefinite control. Putting my ear to the political winds I hear of movements all across the board of people wanting to claim their freedom and take it back from an over-sized government. And many of these people are appealing to the powers granted them by the constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Don't worry, dear reader, this is not a political blog. But I think this is a great parallel as to what I have found taking place in the Church.

The Bible, especially the new testament letters, is the Christian constitution protecting our souls and our freedom. I will call it, for now, our delegation of sovereign authority that we are granted by God, stating that we have real freedom and power in Christ to live and do whatever is in our hearts to do.

In the Bible, spiritual leadership is established, and for good reason. Christianity, at its inception as well as today was choked by dominating, overbearing religions that would be all too happy to subdue them. Many dangerous and demonic teachings were rampant that would have brought the newly freed Christians right back into bondage. So Paul and other apostles established leaders to preserve the doctrines of freedom and grace. The Church leaders, operating properly are simply there to serve as guardians of freedom for the Church.

But, much like the US government, Church leadership also turned sour. True, free, wild Christianity was taken out of its home and placed into a cage under strict, totalitarian elitist rulers who "converted" and became bishops. Church leadership became oppressive and overbearing to the average Church goer.

Like the US constitution, the Bible has been manipulated, distorted and turned against the people it was designed to protect by leaders who abused the power.

And it is no wonder. To the tyrant, this radical gospel and constitution of freedom is a threat. Those early Christians died for a reason. No ruler, religious or otherwise is threatened by a religion that teaches you to sit quietly and behave yourself. Those religions were a dime a dozen then as they are now.

What made Christianity dangerous and a threat by and large was the radical freedom it claimed. Each Christian was a potent, loaded canon. In those days, Christians had real power by which they drove away demons, raised the dead, and healed the sick. They performed miracles and spoke startling and bold prophetic words to the rest of the world.

The purpose and intent of the church was deadly to the ways of the world. It was simple, a mission to free those in bondage. People gave their lives and paid dearly in this lethal and dangerous mission. Christianity was a force to be reckoned with.

But somewhere along the lines, many Christians were sold a lie. They were told that they did not have power, and the only ones who did have such powers were the specially trained and ordained clergy who were somehow above the rest. Christians were told that they didn't have freedom. Their constitution was exploited and distorted to force the Christians to submit not to God, but to power hungry men.

Dear Christian, you have been lied to if you think you have no real power or authority. It is not pride or arrogance, or a matter of you lifting yourself above everyone else to some pompous spiritual state, untouchable. Rather I am reminding you of your own Christian Constitution spelled out in the Bible and what you have available to you.

So, In that light. Who are our spiritual leaders that the Bible tells us to obey? The true spiritual leader will defend to the death and protect your power and your freedom, much as the militias and the soldiers in the Revolutionary War fought for the freedoms America has enjoyed until recently.

The true spiritual leader will only empower you and guide you into your true freedom, constantly reminding you of who you really are and the power that you possess. He will never ask anything for himself from you, never try to burden you with unnecessary tasks. Rather, he will help strengthen you and motivate you into the higher calling that your own heart possesses.

Often times in institutional churches in the past I have suffered under oppressive spiritual leaders who weighed me down with battles I needed not to fight and demands and burdens I needed not to carry. Putting my ear to the spiritual winds I am hearing a cry from many Christians and non Christians alike that enough is enough. We are tired of religious oppression, being lied to and deceived. We are crying for the truth.

I wonder what it would be like in these days and times of a post modern world if the Church came back to its true power and intent of freeing people from the tyrannical control of man. What would happen if we no longer put labels and titles of denominational markings on church buildings? What would happen if we united together, each believer being fully free and fully functional? What would happen if pastors and deacons and leaders actually did their job in protecting our freedoms and power? Would we once again exhibit a power unknown to the common man? Would we then become a strong force in our world to be reckoned with? Fighting to free the souls of those in bondage spiritually or physically? Would we then, once again suffer as Christian martyrs as they did in the days of old because of what we stand for? Would we once again become dangerous?

Behaving is not a dangerous gospel. Everyone preaches that. Freedom however, uninhibited Love as that comes from God, wild and free, THOSE are a dangerous gospel to all involved. And the cost is heavy, but the rewards are beyond comprehension.

So dear reader, who are your leaders? Who protects your freedom? Who has your back? Who will keep you safeguarded and empowered to live the life of the higher call that only God Himself has for you? They are the ones to obey, not the impostors.