Signs of the Times
In Luke 12: 54-59 Jesus is telling His followers about the "sign of times". He calls them hypocrites for predicting the weather based on earthly signs, yet they cannot see Him as the Messiah based on signs of scripture and the prophets. Jesus has even performed miracles in their presence. He is God that walks among them, yet they are blind to see it.
Jesus says to use what is in front of us, and what we have at our disposal to determine the truth. We are to search for truth and defend the truth and in this, we will be kept free from imprisonment.
We operate in bondage over our daily lives because so many people have not found the truth. They haven't even searched for it. We accept lies and temporary reprieve from pain, which causes us to settle in what we believe to be true. The world gives false truths all the time to keep us captive. You aren't handsome enough. You aren't a leader. You are poor. You are dirty. You don't work hard enough. These are the lies of the world. The devil has twisted these lies even further in the other direction. Pride says that you are beautiful as you are, and deserve the accolades of your peers. You are owed peace, and prosperity because you have suffered. It is the world's fault, your parent's fault for your upbringing, the rich, your employer, the media, and all of the systems that hold you back from receiving what you deserve. You have worked hard, why should you not receive an equal cut of happiness? Pride will tell you to take it from someone else. If you work harder than everyone, you will reap the happiness you seek.
Jesus tells us that we are imprisoned by this. What if you knew the truth? What if we lived our life in a way that we knew with certainty that we have a messiah and that he had come? Would we live differently? What if we lived our life as though there were rewards on the other side of it? What if we were certain that when we died, suffering would end? How would we live our life now? If we knew that God had come to redeem our mistakes and our mess, how would we respond to Him?
I believe that if we respond to God in the way that He has asked us to. I believe if we live our life receiving Christ as our salvation. We live to know Him as the Messiah, that all of the anxiety and problems that we live our life trying to fix and resolve, all of that will vanish. The path to peace and fulfillment has been delivered in Christ.
