Church of the Week

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

In the classic book A Christmas Carol, ghostly Marley visits his living friend Scrooge on Christmas Eve to warn Scrooge to repent of his wicked ways. Scrooge notices that Marley is shackled to a ponderous chain, to which Marley states the chain was forged in his sinful, earthly life, and that he must drag it through eternity. He then tells Scrooge that he too has forged a chain and it is seven years longer than Marley’s. Scrooge looks down at his hands and feet and body and states he sees no chain on him. This is because the chain is spiritual and therefore Scrooge can’t see it--yet. It’s a fanciful, but wonderful story.

Truth is until we are saved, we, as sinners, are also shackled to a spiritual chain of bondage; a chain put on ourselves by our sinful doings. We too forge it day by day, link by link, and although we can’t see it wrapped around us, we can see its bondage effects in our physical, mental, and emotional lives; effects like addictions, sexual immorality, idolatry, criminalbehavior,fear,hatred, anxiety, depression, demonic oppression, to name just a few (Galatians 5:19-21). Sins and behaviors such as these enslave and control us, and we are unable to set ourselves free from these chains. And when we pass from this life to eternity, our chains will follow us into judgment--unless we turn to Jesus in repentance before death claims us.

Only Jesus, no one or nothing else, can set us free from the bondage of sin. We must be born again through faith in Him, and when we do so, He sets us free to be free indeed, loosed forever from the ponderous chains that were shackled to our souls. Jesus breaks those chains of bondage and we never again have to drag them through our lives or face eternity wrapped in them.

Be set free today by calling on Jesus and leave your sin chain of bondage behind.

Happy Birthday, Mom!