TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

The war within is fought and lost because we do not recognize ourselves as distinct from our behavior. We have been taught all of our lives and in every situation, to take responsibility for our actions. I am not advocating a new policy of blaming others or denying our need practice the law of love and kindness, but we must look deeper into the forces behind our “bad” behavior, including the use of deadly chemicals and destructive life patterns.

Our assumptions regarding our understanding of “who we are” are misleading. We define ourselves and believe ourselves to be the things we see ourselves doing, feeling, thinking and saying. We have been programmed to define ourselves and be defined by others, by the things we do. It seems logical for us to form our identity out of what we see ourselves doing, therefore, when we behave badly, we see ourselves as “bad.” “Bad” is being defined as failure to measure up to a particular set of laws or expectations as set by our society, family, church, or God. We feel bad, condemned, guilty and conclude “I did something “bad”, therefore I am bad. 

We must recognizing the error of drawing our conclusion about ourselves, our identity and our value based on a presumptuous that attacks our origination and being as those created to carry the image and likeness of God, our Creator and our Father. Our “being” and existence are determined by God. Our behavior is what manifests living out our lives in the Snake Pit of life.  Sinful behavior comes out of believing lies. 

Here is how it works. The Enemy sets us up in difficult or fearful circumstances and then presents us with a “solution” to solve the problem that fear has set up. To get rid of the fear or deal with the danger we do something we know is not good or something we feel forced to do. When we panic and seek to deal with the fear or pain ourselves, we agree with fear and use a solution that is not from God. We become the slaves of fear and sin. Sin is the behavior that results from listening to lies fear is telling us. 

Fear coaches us to take matters into our own hands and “do it ourselves.” This creates confusion in us as to what is actually going on because we see ourselves doing the very thing we do not want to. If we are doing what we do not want to do, or trying to quit something we cannot stop, we are being controlled by something that is resisting our will.

Paul tells us that “resistance” is not “me”, but the “sin that dwells in me.” In Romans 7:20 he says, if I am doing something, (my behavior), I do not want to do (not willing to do) then it (the thing I see myself doing), is not me! It is the sin that dwells IN ME, the one who wills (wants to) do good. 

If I fail to recognize the distinction between Me and the thing I see myself doing, it is illogical and impossible to address the issue of being “bad” and sinning, and getting rid of undesirable behaviors (sin) without killing myself! If I am the sin I hate, then to get rid of the sin I hate, I have to get rid of myself. How does me committing suicide profit the Kingdom of God or resolve my bad behavior or get rid of my sin? 

We are stunned and provoked by the word “responsibility” which implies, whatever it is I am facing or whatever I did or want to do, is “up to me to take control of my life.” Both “responsibility” and the need to “control” have become the guiding principles of this world and the standard measure of acceptable conduct for our lives and activities. Both of them promote self instead of surrender. Both are “word hooks” the Enemy uses to catch us on his hooks of guilt and condemnation. This is not how the Kingdom of God operates or what the Lord taught us to do. 

Responsibility is not a biblical term. It is not actually used in the scripture. Life demands we address and admit and own our words and actions, as indeed, we must. But, in dealing with those actions which often include actions that break the law of Love, we fail to identify the true source and origin of those actions. Actions are behaviors. Behaviors come out of beliefs. Beliefs can either be based in the truth or come out of a lie. When our actions come out of beliefs that are based in fear, the lies fear tells us will lead us to sin. 

Agreeing with the lies fear tells us cause us to sin. Satan’s basic method of accusation is to refer back to “our sin” to justify the demonic judgments he puts on us. He uses our identity confusion to merge our behavior with our “being” and charges us with committing a sin and transgressing against God’s law. “The law brings about wrath, for where there is no law there is no transgression.” (Rom. 4:15) Conversely, where there is a law there is transgression. 

When we sin, we transgress a law. We feel guilty. We feel upset and anxious. We have done something that makes us feel bad. This is exactly what the Enemy wants us to feel. He is working to psychologically recondition us to believe we are bad. He reinforces his diabolical programming by merging our behavior with the truth about who we are to obscure the truth about our true identity made in the Image of God to bring us into confusion. He uses our “feeling bad” for doing something bad to get us to agree that we “are bad.” 

Because no one likes feeling bad about themselves, the feelings of guilt motivate us to fix the feelings.  We begin to entertain the idea that we have to CHANGE our behavior to BE good. Jesus NEVER once told the people they had to CHANGE their behavior or MAKE BETTER CHOICES! Those changes come automatically when we follow Him and know we are made by God. Recognizing my true, divine, original nature  causes me to know I do not even want to sin in the first place. The Kingdom of God is established in HIM and is founded on love and forgiveness. This makes His Eternal Life available to whoever wants to follow HIM.

 (Ps 138:8) tells us that God will perfect that “which concerns us”, not our good works. Our good works have no merit in completing the transactions of salvation and sanctification any more than Monopoly Money can be used at your bank to pay your bills.

The key to freedom is the truth. Jesus wants us to lay down the worlds prescriptions as promoted by the “god of this world” for getting rid of our sin. It is not good works. It is only the BLOOD of Jesus given in sacrifice as a payment for our release from the wages of sin which is death, that gives us freedom over and deliverance from sin and its evil demands.  Jesus paid the full price for us to be released from the devil’s snake pit.