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I have written a great deal of blog posts concerning Superman and this is explained because I am a Superman fanatic! I have an entire “Man Cave” filled floor to ceiling with Superman artifacts and in the neighborhood of 3,000 comic books, which the majority would be Superman titles. I am kind of “fan” you might say.
I don’t follow sports, and I don’t hunt. I’m not opposed to any of it, but the whole comic book scene is a hobby that I really enjoy and as I stated in the previous blog post, I have loved it since I was first introduced to it as a child.
Superman is and always has been my favorite superhero. He always did the right thing no matter what, and in every situation, he looked out for the guy who could not or was not strong enough to stand up for himself.
Superman had a major weakness, though, and it was called Kryptonite. When he was exposed to it, the effects of this element would weaken him tremendously and if left exposed to Kryptonite, its properties would eventually kill him.
Over the course of his history, many people used this weakness to kill Superman, but he somehow always foiled their plans until one day, he rounded up all the kryptonite in the world (except for one piece which he entrusted to the Batman) and disposed of it.
There was a lot to this Kryptonite and the smartest thing that the man of steel did was to avoid it.
That makes sense, right?
Stop trying to resist what you should be avoiding.
Superman was stopped by something other than kryptonite. What brought the Man of Steel to a sudden stop was, in my humble opinion, deadlier than the largest dose of Kryptonite.
In fact, the longer I have been part of the body of Christ, the more obvious it becomes that this same situation takes place in real life. Many individuals who claim to be Christians have also been affected by this weapon.
What was detrimental to the effectiveness of the man of steel is equally destructive to the Christian of today.
Anyway, I was in the comic book store with you last week and we looked through the long boxes of comic book goodness. I discovered this issue, which captures the ongoing struggle of Christians.
In this issue, Superman goes toe to toe with a villain named “The Master Jailer”. The Master Jailer was fascinated by locks and traps and his specialty was creating traps that were custom fit for a person’s particular strength and ability.
Despite the Jailer’s efforts, his traps couldn’t stop the man of steel. When Superman grabs the Master Jailer, the ultimate trap is sprung.
The Master Jailer uses a ray on Superman, making him think he’s a dock worker named Mike, needing to return to work or be late. His identity is muddied and since identity always brings purpose, Mike. I mean Superman punches into a job and lives life filled with distraction and empty of purpose.
Superman, confused and unaware of his true identity, spends the story laboring at the docks. Meanwhile, the Master Jailer embarks on a crime spree. The Jailer couldn’t care less if Superman was exhibiting his strengths and abilities, just as long as he remained in the dark as to his true identity.
Are you drawing the parallel yet?
Satan is the master jailer and his deadlier than Kryptonite attack on believers is to somehow convince them that they are NOT who God says that they ARE.
When speaking to Christians, I consistently observe a significant lack of understanding when it comes to Spiritual Identity. Their righteousness is a behavior modification campaign and holiness is something that I believe that you achieve to have. They spend hours upon hours engaged in labor, trying to just do their best. They exhibit the fruits of the Spirit but are never quite free in Christ enough to live it out because they are trapped in a performance-based acceptance mindset. Doing this will make me Holy, or doing that would make me lose my holiness.
They have been confused. The master jailer has used good things to convince them that they are NOT who God made them. The truth of the matter is, God made them Holy through His son Jesus Christ. Any attempt on my part, through my own strength to achieve “holiness” is in fact self-righteousness. It was righteousness generated by my own intentional actions or labor.
God created you new at salvation and placed a new heart within you. The flesh (Operating out of your own resources) will be something you struggle against and always will with this earth suit, but you have been changed at your core! God’s Holy Spirit now resides within you.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
~ Romans 12:2
The world needs Christians to just honestly wake up to who they are IN Christ. You take the power from another place and put it to work here!
To me, a great reminder of this is found in the book of Revelation.
"Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."
~ Revelation 2:1-7
The church at Ephesus had left her first love. They were known for having impeccable doctrine and for being “busy” with activities. The busyness was a distraction from the reality that they had lost their identity to a calendar of events. They lost their identity of who they were to and in Christ, to well-intentioned programs and events.
Busyness does not feed you, it drains you. Taking time to get away and refocus your mind and meditate on who you are, whose you are, and what that means re-fills your heart. It helps recenter the helmet of salvation. The helmet protects the mind. The mind is the true battlefield and guarding your thoughts is imperative if you are going to be an effective soldier.
I was told a long time ago when looking at a swollen carcass of a dead racoon alongside the highway, “Never confuse swelling with growth”.
“In this kingdom, you really do get what you seek after.”
If you seek after a passionate, dynamic, and genuine love relationship with Jesus Christ, you will find it! It works in opposite as well.
If you look around where you are and see what you have, it is a proof of what you have truly been seeking after.
Christ came to make you free indeed!
Take a good look at who you are IN, THROUGH, and BECAUSE of Him and you will leave the “Religious activity” timecard at the spot where you take back to the skies!
Up, Up, and away,
~Daniel