Life¡¦s Great Liberator
by C.S.
Luke
4:16-21
16
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom,
he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And
the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and
found the place where it was written, 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent
me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to
set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's
favor." 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant
and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he
began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your
hearing."
From
some people¡¦s countenance, we judge them to be happy. Smiles, makeup, and
stylish clothing can create an appearance of inner peace. Internally, though,
many are in bondage.
In
today¡¦s passage, Jesus clarifies His purpose: He has come to set free those in
captivity. Christ was referring to several types of bonds that can imprison our
souls.
First,
Jesus breaks the chains of sin. All people have broken God¡¦s law and
consequently live apart from Him (Rom. 3:23). But Christ¡¦s death and
resurrection free us when we accept His gift of forgiveness and place our trust
in Him. Then we can have a relationship with the Lord.
Secondly,
He liberates us from persistent sins like jealousy, bitterness, and gluttony.
His Spirit resides within each believer and provides the power to overcome
wrong choices that seemed to ¡§own¡¨ us. He enables us to do what He desires--by
bringing immediate healing or by giving guidance and strength in the ongoing
battle.
The
Creator of mankind made us with a void in our hearts for Jesus to fill. Everything
we put there--whether it seems like a good thing at the time or an obvious bad
choice--will ultimately leave us empty. And we will remain in bondage until God
frees us and then provides the only true satisfaction.
Are
you one of those people who appear happy and seem to have life figured out, and
yet inside feel uneasy and empty? Jesus Christ is the only One who can redeem
you, forgive your sins, and fill the vacant place in your soul. Allow Him to
liberate you today.