Set the Captives Free

Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.”

Coming across some great devotion readings lately, I latched onto one that is truly powerful in its metaphoric imagery. Slavery and prisoners are a horrific prospect throughout history, but how often do we truly think about the fact that we are all slaves and prisoners to sin; bound and determined by nature to iniquity since the “Fall of Mankind”.  What hope of freedom does the flesh desire addicted and immoral person with their ignoble passions have, except in Christ?

Psalm 146:7 “He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free.”

For those who repent and believe, Christ removes the guilt of the past, but He also gives victory over sin in the present and in the future, for He alone died to pay for them. Christ gives us victory over sin and nothing else can. All the education and all the culture cannot do it. Freedom from sin is not earn nor deserved; neither can it be purchased on our own because the wages of sin is death. No, only Jesus can give victory over sin.

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.”

The article stated that St. Augustine was one of the most brilliant intellects in the first thousand years of this era. Though he was rhetorician, a logistician, a philosopher, through he has all the learning of the ancient world, he wrote that before he knew Christ, he envied the simple Christians who had control of their passions. They has the reins of their lives in some unseen hands that he knew not of; whereas, he was a slave to his passions. Christ can set the captive free.

John 8:31-32, 36 “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

In Christ, Brian