He has sent
me…to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for all the
prisoners (Isaiah 61:1)
I have been a little unwell for some time now and have been
on medication for a while. I had tried visiting some private clinics but their
prescribed medication did not help. So yesterday I decided to visit a bigger
hospital and my choice was a government hospital. When I was waiting to see the
doctor, some prisons police brought in some prisoners that were so unwell, some
of whom could not walk well due to the magnitude of their illnesses. These prisoners
had their hands bound together with each other which I believe was aimed to
prevent them from running away. Despite their illnesses and being bound, I could
not help but notice their rebellion. The police men who were with them had to
keep on hitting them and shouting at them because the prisoners were not
following the instructions they were being given.
Their state made my heart ache. They had been so unwell and
not looking so nice. However, I could not understand why despite being
imprisoned for rebelling against the law, they still continued being rebellious
even with their current state. It was then that I realized how the same thing
happens to us in life, especially spiritually. When we visit prisons or hear of
prisoners, the first thing that comes to mind is people enclosed in a prison
for going against the law of a country. However, in our spiritual lives,
prisoners are those people who are held captive by the devil and his powers,
which are living in sin that is, living against the laws and commands of God.
Being a spiritual
prisoner is worse than being a prisoner of any country’s law. A prisoner of sin
is one in darkness. When I talk of being
in darkness it because I have been there and many of us has been. I had been a
prisoner of sin in form of pride, lying, lust and I had many idols in my life. When
sin binds you, you become its prisoner/slave. Despite the fact that it
oppresses you and steals the good in you, you still remain under its
submission. You want to stop sinning, say for example lying, but you can’t help
it. You always find yourself lying to cover up for the past lies. Because of
this, although you want not to lie, you live a life of lies, that is, you
become a prisoner/slave of lies. This may lead you to lose many good things
such as friendships, job opportunities and above all, it will affect your
relationship with God. The only thing that can help you is if you realize that
you are in prison/bound and you decide to get out of that prison/slavery.
Getting out of that prison would require you to pay the price of your sin or
have a redeemer who will help you out of the prison.
The bible in Isaiah
60:2, explains about how the world is covered with darkness but only His glory
is able to bring light to the world. Unless the glory of the Lord shines on you
the prisoner of sin, you will remain in darkness, in captivity. However, the
glory of God has come. God sent a redeemer who would be the light to our
darkness, who would both be the redeemer to help us from the prison of sin and
the price for our sins. Jesus Christ the son of God is the redeemer and the
price. The celebration that we have just had is the remembrance of the birth of
the redeemer in the form of flesh who came to pay the price and get out of
prison. However, we go about feasting
and giving gifts to loved ones without considering Him who was freely given to
set us free.
In Luke 4:18-19, Jesus himself repeats the words of Isaiah
61:1-2 and goes ahead to say that he is the fulfillment of these words. That he
is the one setting prisoners free. Jesus still sets prisoners free, that is why
we always celebrate Christmas. Although his birth into flesh happened just
once, redemption is always available for us. We have the choice to accept it
and be delivered from the prison of lying, doubt, lust, unforgiveness, adultery,
idolatry, hatred and so many other sins or we can choose to ‘drive him out of
town’ and fail to receive him. How I pray that we will receive him, go down on
our knees in prayer and fasting and let him set us free completely from our
captivity.
God bless you and keep growing in Him.
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