Freedom from Bondage
They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved (2 Peter 2:19, ESV)
There is one thing that could be worse that bondage: it is a failure to recognize the bondage! It is a sad reality that someone can be in bondage or enslaved by something and yet does not even know it. A classic example is that of the Jews in Jesus’ day. Jesus told them the truth will make them free and they immediately objected and said they were Abraham’s children and were not in bondage to anyone( John 8:33). Could you imagine the look on Jesus’ face, as His divine eyes pierced through the souls of these people, seeing their misery in sin, bondage to Satan and saddened by the blindness of their hearts to their state? Our generation today is not so different. It is a generation that appears joyful, or at least portrays an outward form of happiness but miserably enslaved by every sort of bondage you can imagine. But what is bondage?
There are two key features of every bondage, amongst others, that I will quickly point out here. The first and most obvious is that of suffering and grief. Bondage comes with pain, which could be both emotional and physical. Think about addiction for example. Can you imagine the emotional turmoil and distress an addict goes through, with progressive degradation of their bodies? What about pornography? A husband watches pornography and progressively ruins his marriage with potential divorce and lifelong bitterness, hate, pain and hurts for kids, his wife and himself. The question is this: If bondage brings suffering, why can’t we just walk away from it? What likes to suffer? Good question! That brings me to the second important feature of every bondage, mentioned in the verse above.
Bondage overpowers a person, and makes them continue to suffer without giving them an option to just “opt out”. Every bondage is a taskmaster. It recognizes that its victim might be in pain, but it overpowers them and subjects them to ongoing suffering. Sin is a prime example of a bond master. Romans 7 tells us that every single one of us has been through that situation where you do not like what you are doing, but you find yourself doing the same things you do not like doing.
Demons will quickly take advantage of enslaving situations and torture human beings. However, Jesus says “you shall know the truth, and that truth will set you free” ( John 8:32). God wants us completely free from every form of bondage— sin, addictions, harmful behaviors, demonic oppression or even the harassment of poverty and disease! I do not think there is hardly any generation of humans that has existed with the multiplicity and severity of bondages of every sort like our generation. However, God has called you to freedom. He has commissioned you to bring freedom to the dying world around you. Be free, and a fountain of freedom to the confused and dying generation in your world.
MEDITATE
What are the two key features of bondages mentioned in the verse above?
APPLY THE WORD
What is your bondage? I often shared with you how God delivered me from fear. Some of you might still be slaves to fear, anxiety, etc. Others are a slave to sexual lust. Whenever it calls, they respond in total obedience and do what the lusts command. Still there are others who are in a prison called addiction, where substances such as alcohol or drugs rule them with absolute authority. There is power in Jesus to break every form of bondage in your life. There comes a time that after we have suffered for long, we begin to tell ourselves “enough is enough”. May God stir up holy anger in you to take captive every bondage that might be oppressing you or those around you. The Word is the bondage breaker. Allow the Spirit to use this sword( the Word) to cut every chain in your life as you feed, receive, believe and put the Word to work in your life.
PRAY
Pray that you will enjoy your freedom in Christ to the full in complete liberty from bondage.
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