Quit Your Shock Box — For Freedom Christ Has Set Us Free!
Teaching what he titled “learned helplessness,” the psychology professor put a dog in a shock box and began to shock the dog. Repeatedly, he shocked the dog — again and again, and again. Over and over again he shocked the dog. Initially, the dog tried to get out of the box, bouncing against the cage but was unable to get out. After a while, he sat back in the cage and absorbed the shocks. He became so overwhelmed that he was unaware the cage door was open — setting him free. The dog just sits in the back of the cage because he had learned helplessness: He had acclimatized to the shock box!
How apt an illustration of what is happening in the life of many Christians!
Slave masters we know, don’t let go of their slaves without a fight or an assurance of favorable returns. The longer a slave has been kept in captivity the more the gains to the master. He is subject to the whims and caprices of his master who extracts maximum service from the slave. What’s more, slavery denies the slave of his humanity — equating his worth to that of a commodity that could be exchanged for money.
In the Bible is the story of the Israelites who under the Egyptian taskmasters worked as slaves for over 400 years before they cried out to the God of their ancestor Abraham, and were delivered by the mighty hand of God. Theirs was a classic example of what slavery meant to a people and a nation. Their deliverance formed the basis of God’s covenant relationship with Israel— thereafter reenacted in the annual Passover feasts, foreshadowing humanity’s deliverance from the bondage of sin through Christ’s atonement on the cross.
Can anyone imagine the Israelites after deliverance from bondage deciding to sit back and stay put, on reaching the Red Sea and refusing to follow through beyond the Sea? That is the life dynamics of many “born again” believers. It is where their apostles and general overseers are encouraging them to stay.
Paul in his letter to the Galatian believers warned them against falling into the temptation of getting distracted by immediate gratification and being stuck midway into the freedom won for them by Christ. He said to them, “For freedom, Christ has set us free.” (Galatian 5: 1). In other words, Christ came, and died so that they may be free! Not only free from hangovers of their old ways of life but free to move ahead in the power of the Holy Spirit.
In Galatian 1:3 apostle Paul opens his greetings with the gospel message:
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father to whom be glory for ever and ever.”
Paul’s passion was to expound on the totality of what Christ came to accomplish on earth — the meaning and implication of his death and resurrection for believers. He highlights the key points of what Christ did:
First, Christ gave himself for our sins —to rescue us from the penalty of sin, meaning our sins are forgiven. He put “paid” to it when he pronounced on the cross: “It is finished.” It did not end there. Secondly, He sets us free from the present evil age — from the system and pattern of this world. It is not finished to have the first without the second.
Setting us free means we are no longer under the dominion of the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2)— who daily transmits his rebellious spirit through the airwaves — dictating his wishes through authorities (including authorities in some so-called churches), powers, and forces of spiritual wickedness in the heavenly realm.
The believer is not only free from all the powers that held him captive before coming to Christ but he is also set free to move forward. Paul in Romans 12: 1 admonishes the brethren to “…not conform to the pattern of this world,” but “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
The Christian is not only set free from the bondage of sin; he is also set free from sinful desires. Freedom from sinful desires comes with “renewing our minds.” Renewing our minds means we change the way we think; change our mindset — the way we see ourselves. It means having a new worldview.
One cannot profess Christianity and continue in his old ways. You cannot be a Christian and be competing for worldly acclaim using worldly tactics. No, It's no longer business as usual.
Like the children of Israel at the Red Sea, the believer has to walk through the seas of distractions seeking to scare him off the track and hold him back in captivity. He has to rise above the “shock box” of power, position, and fame.
Fact is, many church leaders — so-called apostles, general overseers, and pastors are overwhelmed and in a state of learned helplessness. They need to be shown the door out of their shock box cages.
Let’s get it right. None of us is able to get out of the shock box in our own strength. The good news is the Lord has made provision for that as well.
Jesus, before ascending to heaven, promised to send the Holy Spirit to do the work in the believer: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8).
In Galatians 5: 13–22, Paul breaks down the outworking of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. He calls it “Fruit of the Spirit” listed as love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It is both a testament to and the outward manifestations of the indwelling Holy Spirit in an individual.
Imagine a world inhabited by men and women all filled with the Holy Spirit and manifesting these fruits in their lives. A Christian is not known only by professing Christianity, but more by his fruits. Christ says by their fruits you will know them (Matt. 7:16–20). Paul reminds the Galatians in this words: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (v.13).
We know how sinners become born again at our meetings!
After spending all the time preaching “another gospel,” and our listeners are fully motivated to go out and make it in the world, we then make a call to those who want to accept Christ — to come forward or raise their hands for prayers. Then they are adjudged “born again,” and are conditioned to hear messages about fulfilling their destiny — which literally entitles them to reap where they have not sewn.
We are saying it is not enough to preach forgiveness of sin as often emphasized at conversion; it is equally important to emphasize sanctification — living a life set apart for Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers the believer to walk on the path of righteousness. He is the Spirit of Truth — the Teacher, Comforter, and Leader!
Speaking in tongues is overemphasized in some quarters “as a mark of the Holy Spirit's presence. Speaking in tongues in a historical context has its place in the Church. It was given as a sign of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost — marking the launching of the Church of Christ. It is the gifting of the Spirit of Truth, and of Power for living and for ministry. It’s not for show in a theatrical drama.
Jesus in the parable of the Ten virgins underscores the inevitability of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of all Christians. There were ten virgins waiting for the coming of the bridegroom. It is also known as the parable of five wise virgins and five foolish virgins (Matt.25:1-13). They all had their individual lamps. The lamps were containers of oil and wicks. They were made for a purpose — to bear the light. A lamp not filled with oil cannot bear the light. It is useless.
The ten virgins are like containers made to carry the Holy Spirit. Five virgins have all the appearances of containers but have no oil. Five virgins had their containers filled with oil. They were ready for the bridegroom. Five, probably distracted by “other things,” failed to fill their lamps with oil and so were not ready.
While waiting and busy with preparations, unsure of the time the groom would arrive, they were all exhausted and fell asleep.
And suddenly, at midnight the cry rang out: “Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” The ten virgins were awakened. They all trimmed their lamps. The five wise virgins with oil in their lamps went in with the bridegroom. But the foolish ones without oil began to scamper begging for oil from those who have. “No, they replied, ‘There may not be enough for us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.”
The wise virgins jealously guard what they have. It is wise to make hay while the sun shines.
Let’s get out of the shock box, and walk-in freedom — For freedom Christ has set us free!
