TV Lessons: Knight Rider

There's one thing that I really like about the 80's - all of the cool TV shows from that era keep being remade or ocntinued. It's probably got a lot to do with the fact that my generation has penetrated the "adult working world" enough, that if we miss something from our childhood, we can just bring it back again. Whether you actually watch the new Knight Rider series or just think it's a waste of time - it's still kinda cool, at least from a nostalgia point of view.

I was watching an episode the other day, and there were things about the main character's (Michael's) past that was causing problems for the missions that he was on. Anytime he was on a mission, trying to be under cover, someone from his past would always show up and interfere with what was going on. This became enough of a problem, that the guys in charge of Knight Industries had to take drastic action to deal with the problems. They decided that they best way to deal with Michael's past was to simply kill him...or at least make it look like they killed him.

They figured the best way to keep his past from causing problems, was to convince the world that Michael had died. Afterall, nobody can hunt you down and interfere with your life if you are technically dead. Near the end of the episode, one of the other characters was talking to Michael and said something to extent of, "How does it feel to be free? Now that your dead, your past can't follow you anymore." (or something close to that).

As I watched this strategy unfold on the TV screen, I realized that God did the same thing with us. Our past kept getting in the way of what God wanted us to be; our debt of sin wouldn't quit following us around and interfering with the life we were trying to live for God. So He came up with a solution, He sent Jesus to die in our place and counted his death to equal our death. Romans 6:6 says, "Our old sinful selves were crucifed with Christ so that sin might lose it's power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin." And Romans 7:6 says, "But now we have been released from the law, for we died with Christ, and we are no longer captive to its power. Now we can really serve God, not in the old way by obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way, by the Spirit." So when Jesus died on the cross, from God's perspective, we died also. That is why Paul can say in Philippians 2:20, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

So the next time that your past, or Satan, or anyone else tries to remind you of all the things you have done wrong - just remember that you are a dead man (or woman) and your past doesn't matter to God anymore. You can live free now.