Our worst fears have come true!  

 2 Timothy 2:25-26, "God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."

        Yesterday I watched a Japanese anima movie called "Appleseed Exmachina."  In this futuristic movie technology rules the day.  The main characters discover how an evil person is secretly using, small headset like devises[1], to control and manipulate its host, turning them into zombies.  One of the three main characters is infected by mind controlling nanobytes and he is desperately trying to fight from being taking over by it.  Why would I bring this up?  It appears to me that there is much material being produce, both by Hollywood and Japan, where the worst fear imaginable is being control and forced to do something evil, which you have no power over.  In Japanese anima it is usually technology that is used to control people, while in America it is usually a virus that takes over your mind or vampires that awakes the living dead in you.  Yet at the end of these movies while most seem to die, there is still a few who survive and they conclude that there is usually a small way out, if your fight hard enough.  This is usually tied in with the statement that although wicked and evil the human race is, for some reason, still worth saving?  I never understood the logic of this myself!

      I could not but help to think how ironic it is that the human race is in reality enslaved, that our minds and hearts have been taken prisoner by sin and the Devil to serve his will!  I wonder about the shear irony of this.  What we fear the most is not merely a popular movie topic, but is actually true.

       I personally yearned to yell at the world and say, "Hey wake up and smell the coffee, your worst fear is true, you are a zombie and a slave to the Devil and sin!"  I personal think sinners, in the movie business, write about such things because, in their heart they know it's true[2], but their incredible pride (being fueled and control by the Devil) blinds them to actually accepting it.  This is why it is ironic they write about what they fear the most and write about what they prideful do not wish to accept the most, as possibly being true.

       Last night I though heavily about the reality how all sinners, including myself before I was saved, were a "slave of sin"[3], a "captive" of the Devil "to do his will."  Some foolish people try to diminish the meaning of God's word by saying that the word for slave (in the Greek) also has a meaning of a servant.  Yet this cannot be said of 2 Timothy of the Devil taking us as captives, much like a army taking captives during war. 

       In order to honor my Savior for the incredible saving He accomplished, in saving me, I must face up to how bad my pervious condition was.  This is why Christian worship is so expressive and full of joy, because God really saved us from a horrible situation.  Whether I was a mere hired servant of the devil and sin or its bound slave makes a huge difference.  The distinction would be me saving, "I was saved one day from having to serve these bad people", compared to "I was saved from being a slave held captive under Nazi Germany, in a concentration camp, waiting to be executed, with no hope of escaping."  The second response would invoke a greater response of wonder and awe, which is the goal of God saving us, that we would be awe stuck seeing from what horror our great God saved us from!  Therefore, let us not water down the reality or our true condition, so that we would not also water down the worship our wonderful God deserves.

      NIV Romans 8:7, "The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so."  God is clear in teaching us, through Paul, that a slave of sin does not have the ability or potential of submitting to God!  It is statements like this that shows the degree of "slavery" our Lord Jesus Christ meant when He said we are "slaves of sin."  Obviously it was a real enslavement, a real captivity where one is bound in chains without the choice to leave!  The Devil and sin has made a universal mockery of the human race.  It is thoroughly embarrassing.

       This then is the condition of the human race without the Lord Jesus Christ! The reality of this has reminded me how much worship and thanksgiving that should pour from my heart, like a rushing spring, and intelligently from my mind, like a refreshing fountain.  I do confess I know I do not live here in consistency or in depth, as I should. 

       By the Holy Spirit I was lead into worshiping my Great and Wonderful God for such a wonderful salvation He has brought me into, through His death for me!  I particularly concentrated on what a mighty, complete and relevant Savior I serve and worship.  So mighty that He conquered even Hell, the power of sin, the Devil and yes-even Death itself!  Who or what hero can clam such a thing, I know not one!  The victory that my God and Savior won seems to be so splendors that men have not even thought of it.  It appears that its glory is of such a brightness that darkened minds cannot even conceive of its beauty.

      The Bible speaks of this in this way: "I [Paul] should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."[4] What are these riches?  "Now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him."[5]  God's unsearchable riches were accomplished for us as we are in Christ, by means of His death on the cross for us.  This accomplished for us access to come to God as our loving Father.  Furthermore, this saving was done in the backdrop that we were "dead in sin"[5] or enslaved to it and therefore, "without hope in this world."[6]  People were so deeply ruined and without hope, but now they have been saved and filled with God's love.  We are reminded how great a thing this is when Paul sums this up as: "Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think."[8]

            So yes it is true, the worst imaginable fear of man is true.  We are slaves and our choice or potential to escape is ruined.  Our slave masters of sin, the Devil, and death are to strong.  Moreover our just condemnation from God Himself, for rebelling against Him is immutable for sinners.  Yet, it is also true that the most beautiful and mighty Savior has come to save us!  His Name is the Lord Jesus Christ.  No one compares to Him and to the mighty, wise and loving way He saved us, by dieing as a human, as a slave for us in our place.  He was so mighty that while He was most weak, deing on the cross, He defeated and triumphed over the Devil.  Like a Loin having the sheep in his mouth, so the Devil had Jesus Christ, but our Lord turned on him and rose up defeating Him, humiliating our ancient foe!  Colossians 2:15, "Having disarmed principalities and powers, [Christ] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it."  The Lord Jesus Christ did not merely defeat the Devil, but humiliated him in His victory, much like a sheep triumphing over and decisively defeating a grizzle bear even though the bear had it in its mouth. 
           

       After thinking about these things I found myself the next day playing [9] a song at church called "My Glorious."  The words went like this: "People we believe that, God is bigger than, the air I breath, the world we'll leave, God will save the day, and all will say, my Glorious."[10] During this time I discovered the Holy Spirit reminding me of the thoughts I meditated over yesterday.  Within my soul sprung deep love and admiration toward my God for being such a complete, mighty, wise, loving and Glorious Savior!  Our worst fears might have come true, but as dark as sin's power is, the brightness of the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified for my sins, has broken through and has shown in this heart of mine.  Praise God, Jesus Christ, the Morning Star has dawned in ours hearts and translated us into the Kingdom of His love for all time!  My Lord Jeus Is a mighty Savior Who is worth all my time and love.

Oh wonderful Heavenly Father and my Lord Jesus Christ how I wish I would spend more time and energy admiring concerning how grand You are and what glorious things You have accomplished. 

I would be a fool not to confess I do not dwell here enough.  I find myself too enthralled with this culture, its movies and their heroes.  How vain I have become, You and I both know!  Forgive me, Heavenly Father, of this sin according to the multitude of mercies found in Your Son, Jesus Christ, for me.  Teach me to speedily confess all my sin; knowing it honors the blood of my Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord.  Also, lead me into the paths of your righteousness, where I can best feel and know your heart beat.  This culture is so experiential and easily entices my flesh to look too long and hard at it, while my heart and mind becoming lazy in my love for You.  I hate this about myself.  As I look at these hands of mine that You created I so readily see their weakness and worthlessness to fight sin. 

This is why I am glad to know of a Savior who is a complete Savior, ready to rescue me!  Thank you my Lord Jesus Christ for your bloodshed for me.  Without such knowledge neither my mind nor my heart would find rest.  Lead me to Your cross were I can see how You made an end of all my sin and failures.  Open these eyes of mine to see how Great and Wonderful You are, by the power of the Spirit, so that this world and all that is in it loses its allure.

This is my hope and pleasure, that You kindly do hear my prayers and are both lovingly enough and strong enough to keep me, Almighty God!  How is it that a sinner would be forgiven and lavished with such love, I do not know?  But I do know Your love is true and look forward everyday to proclaim the praises of Him Who is mighty to save and worthy of every Honor! 

Jesus Christ, my Glorious, You became one of us, and die for us, You're my Glorious.  Amen

Sincerely: Oshea

 [1] Much like a blue tooth cell phone ear piece 

 [2] Romans 2:15

 [3] John 8:34

 [4] Ephesians 3:8-21

 [5] Ibid

 [6] Ibid 2:1

 [7] Ibid 2:12

 [8] Ibid 3:20

 [9] I play electric guitar at church

 [10] My Glorious, by Delirious, from the album Glo, Furious records