Whom The Son Sets Free is Free Indeed

My husband and I were guests at a Salvation Army dinner the other night. The banquet was held to honor and celebrate the sobriety of those men currently or previously engaged in the Salvation Army's recovery program. Some of the men had been clean and sober from alcohol and or drugs for as long as 30 years. Others were still in their first week of abstinence. Whether just beginning the program or having graduated decades ago all the gentlemen had one thing in common. They were trusting in the Saviour Jesus Christ to set them free or keep them free from the bondages which had entangled them.

I remember that as a baby Christian one of my mentors would always mention that Jesus came to undo the works of the devil. I never really understood the depths of her remark until years later. By that time I had seen how Jesus had radically transformed lives. God had taken what Satan meant for evil and turned it around for good. It is true that "our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" 1 Peter 5:8. He takes advantage of wounded spirits, broken hearts, human weakness, lack of knowledge, and whatever other inroads he can to disenfranchise lives. However, Psalm 107:20 comforts us with "He sent His Word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions." So whether our destructive behavior is substance abuse or gossip, Jesus promises that "He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6.

Written by CF