Are you going to stay with your baggage?

One of the ways we are held captive by the forces of darkness is by chains and walls we are unaware of. That is the power Satan uses to hold people in prison when the gates have been opened, and to keep people cleaving to death after the chains have been broken. Satan exploits man’s unstable soul through his vulnerability to pride and fear. The Deceiver tempts man with lies to help him only “feel” like something when the truth is he is already a royal child of the Most High GOD. The Deceiver tempts man to hide in darkness to cover his shame instead of coming into the light to receive healing and restoration.

So, due to being captives of the aforementioned lies, people have resisted the gracious and amazing gift of salvation offered by a loving GOD. The pride of man says salvation shouldn’t cost me more pain and difficulty, it should make me “feel” good and comfortable. As a result, people reject the mortification of the cross to salvation as the Israelites rejected the crossing of the wilderness to the promises of YAHWEH. In pride, man leans unto his own understanding and says in his heart, “I know what makes me feel alive.” Man’s prideful confidence in what he thinks he knows causes him to reject the verdicts of GOD on the paths of life and death, so he remains in darkness cleaving to the ways of death.

Jeremiah 13:15-17

¹⁵ Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken. ¹⁶ Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. ¹⁷ But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.

Matthew 4:12-17

¹² Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; ¹³ And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: ¹⁴ That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, ¹⁵ The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; ¹⁶ The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. ¹⁷ From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Today is the day of salvation. It is time to forsake what you “feel” for the Truth of GOD. This is why the gospel of salvation declares that he who seeks to save his own life would lose it, but he that is willing to lose his life would find salvation. When you look at the parable of the rich young ruler, you see a man seeking to save what he thought was living. When the Savior gave him the requirement to leave all his baggage behind, the rich young ruler was grieved at the cost and decided to stay with his baggage.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

Humble yourself before the verdicts of the Creator and reject what He says you need to reject as evil and depart from the ways He says you need to leave to obtain life. Go through the birthing pains to receive new life, which is what salvation is all about. Except the contraction pains as the Spirit requires the narrowing of the path that brings new life. Allow the Word of GOD to purge your mind from the lies of Satan. You will know the truth and the truth will make you free.

¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

The salvation of Christ is a work of reconciliation and restoration to greater things beyond this world. The exceeding great and beautiful things of spiritual life existed way before all the physical things of this world which people have become so attached to. We were always meant to return to the former glory. The Savior has called us to shift our affections to the spiritual things of the eternal Kingdom of GOD, and to leave everything behind and follow Him to eternal life. The question you have to decide is if you are going to forsake all and cleave to Him, or if you are going to stay with your baggage.