SALVATION'S REMEDY FOR FEAR AND BONDAGE

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb 2:14-15). "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (Rom 8:15).

Devotion 4 of 18

THE HELPLESSNESS OF MANKIND

In the consideration of salvation's remedy for fear and bondage, it is necessary to view the helplessness of mankind regarding these conditions. Men tend to have a high opinion of their own abilities, imagining they can extricate themselves from any kind of dilemma. This is particularly true of our day, when the human intellect has been exalted to a place of prominence. Armed with history, statistics, the knowledge of language, and various profiles, men do not consider themselves helpless in the matters of fear and bondage. Psychologists and religious hucksters have concocted disciplines to address fear and moral bondage. Their methods have become quite popular, and have even been widely received by professed believers. However, few, if any, of them require faith in God. Wherever that requirement is missing, no real help is ministered. Any seeming advantages are only cosmetic, not touching the soul.

Reason should tell us God would not provide something for all men that all men did not need. However, this is not apparent to all, and is therefore firmly established in God's Word. Let me clearly state at the outset of this discourse that God will not permit men to make valid and lasting moral advancement apart from identity with Him. Further, this identity is only through His Son, Christ Jesus the Lord. Any and every claim to victory over fear and bondage that did not come through union with Christ, by faith, is pretended. It is not real.

Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matt 11:18-30, NKJV). In saying this, He was confirming there is no "rest" for our souls apart from Him. That "rest" involves release from both fear and bondage.

By "helpless," I mean men cannot eliminate debilitating fear or bring bondage to an end. No form of human activity can remove these dreadful conditions. God must do it, or it will not be done. Isaiah portrayed this condition when describing the plight of humanity. "And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me" (Isa 63:5). The sixty-third chapter of Isaiah is a depiction of the great salvation accomplished in Christ Jesus. Spoken nearly 800 years before Christ, it declared God would do what could otherwise not be accomplished. His assessment was, "there was none to help." Concerning salvation, sin had reduced mankind to a helpless state. In His great love, God did not abandon our helpless race, but wrought deliverance for us: i.e., "mine own arm brought salvation unto me." Salvation was brought to Him in the sense of meeting His demands, and bring satisfaction regarding His purpose.

The helplessness of man is seen in a riveting description of our lives before we were accepted in Christ: "having no hope, and without God in the world" (Eph 2:12). While this pertained specifically to the Gentiles, the only hope the Jews had was the promise of a coming Messiah. They too were impotent to change themselves. As God told them, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil" (Jer 13:23). In fact, immediately after the flood, God assessed humanity in these words: "I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart IS evil from his youth" (Gen 8:21).
There is no deliverance apart from Christ–no release from fear, and no termination of bondage to sin and death. Man is helpless to change his condition. That is the dreadful impact that sin has had upon him.

The book of Nehemiah contains an expression that perfectly describes man's moral and spiritual condition. The children of Israel were in bondage, and could do nothing about it. They could not organize a rebellion to gain freedom, for they were under the power of someone else. Here is what they said. "And now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others" (Neh 5:5, NASB). That is a vivid picture of the fear and bondage created by sin. It has placed us under the control of another, even the "prince of the power of the air" (Eph 2:2).

Do you doubt that this is the situation? Hear the word of the Lord. "For when we were still without strength [helpless, NASB], in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Rom 5:6). Praise God, "helpless" does not mean "cannot be helped!" It does mean our help must come from outside of ourselves. We have neither the resources nor the strength to dissipate fear or break the bonds of sin. When this condition is recognized and believed, the solution is within reach.

PRAYER POINT: Father, I thank You through Jesus Christ for not abandoning us, leaving us in a powerless and hopeless state.

--Tomorrow: WHEN GOD SHOWS HIS WAY --