Enjoy this wonderful modern-day parable about the tyranny of bondage and the beauty of freedom.
The Enemy of the world, Satan, was on the side of life’s road with a very large cage. The one coming towards him noticed that it was crammed full of people of every kind – young and old, rich and poor, from every race and nation.
“Where did you get these people?” the man asked.
“Oh, from all over the world,” Satan replied. “I lure them with drinking, drugs, lust, lies, anger, hate, love of money, and all manner of things. I pretend I’m their friend, out to give them a good time, and then, when I’ve hooked them, into the cage they go.”
“And what are you going to do with them now?” asked the man.
Satan grinned. “I’m going to prod them, provoke them, get them to hate and destroy each other. I’ll stir up racial hatred, defiance of law and order. I’ll make people bored, lonely, dissatisfied, confused and restless. People listen to what I offer them and, what’s better, blame God for the outcome!”
“And then what?” the man asked.”
“Those who do not destroy themselves, I will destroy. None will escape me.”
The man stepped forward. “Can I buy these people from you?” he asked.
Satan snarled, “Yes, but it will cost you your life!”
So Jesus Christ, the Son of God, paid for your release, your freedom from Satan’s trap with His own life on the cross of Calvary. The door is open, and anyone whom Satan has deceived and imprisoned can be set free.
You might have thought you were free and could do anything you wanted to do, but you were chained by Satan and imprisoned by sin. You had No hope of escape, No way to set yourself free. But Jesus Christ paid the terrible price for your freedom. He is the Ransom that we needed to pay the astronomical price we owed for our sin. Thankfully He willingly paid the terrible price Satan demanded for our release. As we sang last Sunday, “He paid a debt He did not owe. I owed a debt I could not pay. I needed someone to wash my sins away. And now I sing a brand-new song Amazing Grace (the whole day long). Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.”
Rick Renner (long-time missionary to Russia and well-known Bible commentator) describes it this way: “Jesus paid the price with His blood, purchased us for Himself, and gave us a liberating freedom that can only be known because of His work in our lives! Our freedom from Satan’s power was extremely expensive. The price Jesus paid for us was the highest price ever paid for a slave. What was the ransom that Jesus paid in order to buy our freedom from Satan’s ownership? His own blood!”
All praise and honor to our glorious Redeemer Jesus Christ! He did for us what we could Never do for ourselves. He paid the price that we could never pay! Hallelujah!
This Sunday, April 21, we will continue our new teaching series that asks the crucial question, “Who is Jesus?” This week’s answer? “Jesus is Liberator!” You don’t need to live in guilt and condemnation any longer. He has set you free! Please invite someone to join you at 10:35am in the building or online for the Live broadcast on either Facebook (HonoluluAG) or our YouTube channel (Honolulu Assembly of God). We livestream every Sunday to both locations and would love to have you join us.
Bible Classes take place every Sunday morning at 9:30am. This is a wonderful opportunity to study the Word together with other students. A Bible Study is uploaded every Wednesday afternoon to our website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel. Please check it out, both for yourself and to share it with others. Mahalo!
Aloha ke Akua!