Before the Civil War, a Quaker walking past a slave auction saw one  of his neighbors bidding for a pretty slave girl. He knew this man to be cruel and abusive, and knew the terrible life the girl would live is this man were here owner. Moved to compassion, the Quaker stepped over the bidding area and began to bid for her. The bidding went up and up, eventually he outbid the abusive slave owner. When he had completed the transaction with the sellers, the Quaker walked over to the girl, handed her the bills of sales, and said, “You are free to go.” He had purchased her freedom.

Jesus also was involved in purchasing freedom. After His baptism, He returned to His hometown and on the Sabbath attended the synagogue. Invited to speak, He opened the Bible and read, “ The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because  he has anointed me to. . . proclaim freedom for the prisoners.”

Jesus wasn’t talking about literally liberating people from jail. He said that “everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” And Solomon said that “the cords of sin hold him fast.” We’re prisoners of sin.

PRISONERS OF SIN

What does it mean to be a prisoner of sin?

Addiction is a more modern word that means essentially the same thing. You’ve probably known an alcoholic who promises himself, his family, and even God that won’t take another drink, but a day or a week later he is back drinking again. That’s the slavery.

People can become addicted to all kinds of things: gambling, food, pornography, and drugs, to name a few. Some people today even get addicted to the Internet.

But Jesus is the great liberator from sin and addiction. His law actually provides freedom but this idea seems strange to some people. They think the law enslaves us. And it does enslave those who violate it. But the law that sends the thief to jail is the same law that protects your property and mine. The law that puts the murder behind bars is the same law that makes it safe for you and me to walk down the street.

POWER TO OBEY

In other words, the law is liberating to those who obey it. The problem, of course, is that you and I don’t have the power to obey God’s law. That’s why we’re slaves to our sins. Ask any addict. He can’t say No to the object of his addiction. He’s trapped. He’s like a man who falls into a pit and breaks one arm and both legs. He’s a prisoner in that pit until someone comes down into the pit with him and helps him out.

Fortunately, God has provided you and me with a way of escape from the pit of sin into which we have sunk. God gives us the power to obey His laws. Christians call this power “conversion,” or “the new birth.” Jesus said that “no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit breaks the power of sin over our lives and gives us the power to obey God’s laws.

The key question is this: How can you and I get God’s power at the moment temptation strikes, when we want nothing more than to do what we know is wrong?

The answer is simple: Ask for it. In the midst of our great desire to do what we know shouldn’t, we can say a simple prayer like this: “God, I’m powerless over this temptation. Please come into my life and give me the power to say No.”

WHAT TO EXPECT

God won’t force you to stop doing what’s wrong when you say this prayer. Rather, He will give you mental and emotional strength to refuse to act on the temptation. There is no addiction that’s too strong for God’s power to overcome. Does this mean that you’ll never yield again? That may happen, like the drug dependent who threw the ecstasy pills and marijuana away and never wanted another one. But most drug dependents struggle for several weeks or months, perhaps even years, before they finally gain the victory over prohibited drugs.

You, too, may have struggle, sometimes gaining the victory, sometimes not. But don’t give up. Keep on asking for God’s power in your life. As you do this, you’ll grow in your ability to overcome temptation, and eventually you will come to the place that is seldom troubles you any more.

THE PRICE GOD PAID

It’s important to understand that victory over temptation didn’t come cheap. God paid a heavy price to deliver us from slavery to sin.

There’s a story about some criminals who kidnapped the son of a millionaire in South America. To prove to the father how serious they were, the abductors cut off the son’s ear and sent it to him. That father liquidated every asset he had so he could pay off the kidnappers and get his son back.

Was the price the father paid worth it? He thought so, because he loved his son that much.

God completely liquidated heaven’s bank account when He sent His Son to die so that we could be set free from our sins and addictions. Was it worth that price? He thought so, because He loves us that much!