Dr. Charles Stanley
Read | Luke 4:14-19
On returning to His hometown, Jesus entered the synagogue and—to the amazement of all who were listening—read His job description from the book of Isaiah. Perhaps some people in that congregation were confused by His statement that He was sent to release captives and set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18). Who were those captives? Was He going to storm the prisons?
Jesus was talking about spiritual bonds, not physical ones. Everyone is born with a sinful nature, and we’re all enslaved to sin until that bondage gets broken by faith in the Savior. But even after salvation, Jesus is continually setting us free from things that entrap us, hindering our relationship with Him. He delivers us . . .
• From error: The Word of God protects us from the misconceptions and lies that Satan and his world system use to bombard us.
• From evil deeds: God’s indwelling Spirit empowers us to resist temptation and live a righteous lifestyle.
• From emotional bondage: The Lord doesn’t want us to be controlled by fear, guilt, jealousy, bitterness, unforgiveness, or inadequacy, which steal the peace and joy Christ promised. When we learn to trust Him in every situation, He’ll set us free from these negative emotions.
Many Christians live in bondage with-out realizing it. They know something is wrong but can’t straighten out their lives. Despite all their efforts to “be better,” they keep failing. No prisoner has the key to unlock the door, but Jesus is standing outside the cell, calling, “Trust Me, and I will set you free!”
