Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
Galatians 5:1
You can’t look up Liberator in a concordance and find this title listed there. Yet, that is what He is. Christ set free more slaves than Abraham Lincoln and liberated more oppressed people than anyone else in history.
When Jesus preached his first sermon in the synagogue in Nazareth, He opened the Isaiah scroll and said that He came “…..to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18). What actually did He mean by this?
Those who were wanting a political liberator were openly disappointed with Jesus. Obviously, the iron-fisted Roman government still enslaved people, heavily taxed the occupied territory, and crucified dissenters. Although that is true, all the Caesars are long dead. Other despots that have come and gone throughout the centuries were also temporary.
Political dictators, by their nature, don’t last long on history’s stage. Christ’s liberation transcends the centuries, cultures, and world governments, because He frees individuals from the internal tyrants of the soul.
Sin, certainly, is a huge self-destructive force that enslaves people to life styles and conditions they hate. The drunk really doesn’t look forward to waking up again another day with a splitting headache and covered in his own vomit. Few prostitutes, if any, feel they made the best career choice and jails are full of people who don’t want to be there. The Lord Jesus sets them free by taking away the power and compulsion of sin.
What most people don’t understand is that Christ, the Liberator, frees us from everything that enslaves us: guilt, anger, grief, addictions, doubt, anxiety, and even the fear of the unknown. Talk to the Lord and turn these over to Him one by one and one by one, the Liberator will take them away. “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
Note: If you are weighted down with grief, anger, depression, or addiction issues, go to www.tradingpain.com for Set Free Prayer Ministry. It can help.
May 2
