On July 4 of every year, the United Sates of America celebrates its independence from Britain. Independence can be a good thing in a national sense. When it comes to the Christian life, however, God does not want us to be independent. Independent living is not Christianity but a man-made, devil-induced caricature of Christianity.

I have an ancestor who signed the American Declaration of Independence. I hope he was not independent from Jesus, since he was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration.

Sadly, however, many Christians have signed their personal declaration of independence from Jesus. Their independent living is not a joyful existence.

One of the major lessons of the gospels is dependence. Jesus was totally dependent on His Father God. And Jesus wants us to be dependent on Him.

When people hear our name, Freedom Church of God, they often ask if we are affiliated with any other Churches of God. I often reply by saying, "We are independent of any other entity -- except Jesus." We depend on Him and His Word and the Holy Spirit to determine our doctrine and govern our activities.

Perhaps a better way to describe the tragic independence that is rampant in the church today is to ask this question: are you a cordless Christian?

We live in the age of cordless phones and Bluetooth technology that allows us to be free from wires. These advances allow a freedom of movement never before seen in our modern world. Battery-operated devices can be convenient, but what happens when the battery goes dead and you're looking for batteries? Jesus wants us plugged in to Him all the time, minute by minute abiding in Him.

We live in a cordless society. When it comes to the Christian life, however, does such a situation bring true freedom? Not at all. We are called to be attached to the true Vine, Jesus. Our Savior said, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

Living our Lives for Jesus?

Yet one of the most prevalent mantras of Christendom today says, "Live for Jesus!" The deceiver has convinced Christians that they are to live their lives for Jesus. Many of the over 9000 doctrines of demons in the Christian churches today are blatantly false. Others are subtle in their deception. This is one doctrine that has crept into the church and has infiltrated our songs.

In Freedom Church of God we sing many of the popular songs from modern day worship leaders. God has warned us, however, not to sing out words that are false, words that contradict the Word of God. And there are many!

One powerful song pollutes its message quite subtly with the words, "I am free to live for You." What presumption! Jesus never told us to live for Him, as if He were weak and needed the help. He is not some impotent weakling who needs our help. He comes to live in and through us. He doesn't say that without us He can do nothing. He says the opposite: without Him living in and through us, we can do nothing.

By the way, we changed the lyrics to, "You are free to live in me." And yet some of our members get caught up in the emotion of the song. They sing the false lyrics we try to override in our karaoke system as we sing over the artist being played on our stereo system.

God calls us to worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Yet falseness abounds in our songs today.

While it is true that God needs us to speak out His Word to accomplish His will on earth, that ability and grace comes from Him. We can do nothing without His power working in us.

Satan wants us to "give it the old college try." This means we depend on ourselves but we leave a voice mail on God's answering machine in times of severe trial. Many Christians do it all themselves, and they cry out to God only in moments of desperation. "What a friend we have in Jesus," we sing, yet we only want to be friends with Him when we're in dire need. It doesn't work like that. Good friendships are cultivated over time. In times of trouble we know we can call on a friend with whom we have established a relationship. Most Christians "go it on their own."

Satan has convinced about 95% of the Christian churches that they need to encourage Christians to use their own resources, abilities, judgments, and strength to live the Christian life. "Living for Jesus" is a common theme in songs and in doctrine. Too many believers are self-reliant, self-containing, and self-rechargeable. They believe more in themselves than Jesus. They trust they will succeed, prosper, and be victorious on the strength of their own personalities and strengths.

While glorified by humans, independence is not a virtuous pursuit. It is a paltry caricature of the Christian life -- a life God intends for us to live by His power in us.

In Whom Do You Have Faith?

After all, did we come to Jesus by faith in ourselves? No. We believed in Jesus. We had faith in Him.

Paul stated it clearly: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of [your] works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them" (Eph. 2:8-10).

Faith and faithfulness are part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22). They come from God, not us.

Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me" (Gal. 2:20).

God tells us not to lay again a foundation of "repentance from dead works and of faith toward God" (Heb. 6:1). Doing things in the flesh, with faith in yourself and your works, brings dead works. But faith toward God allows Jesus to do His works through you.

Why would you trust in your intellect, your talents, your strengths, the beauty or form of your body, your charisma, or your abilities to live the life that you acquired by faith?

Is Jesus Your Life?

While we realize the who is jesus  importance of Jesus' death to pay the penalty of our sins, many forget the importance of His life in us. He said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life..." (John 14:6).

Many Christians make the church their focal point. Some even make Jesus their main emphasis. Most Christians, however, do not let Jesus be their life. They will not let Jesus live His life in them. They don't yet know their identity in Him.

Their batteries of self-sufficiency quickly wear down through the attacks of Satan, who loves to wear down the saints (Dan. 7:25). Satan tries to take the life and joy of Jesus out of us and supplant them with wearisome religious duties and rituals. Many Christian churches "activity their members to death." They are killing their joy by making so many religious activities the members feel they must participate in to win God's favor. Busyness has squeezed the life out of many a Christian.

No time is available to rest in Jesus and receive His life, joy, and peace. Oh yes, Satan will allow Christians to believe in a heavenly rest some fine day, but he does not want them to experience rest in Jesus. Then they might learn to allow Him to live in and through them.

Satan loves to get Christians involved in peripheral activities that squander their time and give them supposed spiritual merit badges of acceptance. Anxiety and fear enter, along with addictions to try to fill the void. God meant for Jesus to be the life of His people, but when He isn't, they try to fill that empty hole in their soul with sinful time wasters from Satan. Empty legalism often tries to fill this void in the soul.

God never intended for us to put a new spin on an old story by trying to make our sinful life in Adam better. He wants to have a new life in Jesus.