Robert was so strong that I once saw him pick up and carry a refrigerator up stairs by himself. His strength plus his integrity landed him a job as a guard at a maximum-security correctional facility in a town called "Liberty."
The prison's inmates must wince at the irony of that name. As men and women carelessly walk down Liberty's streets, the cons must watch, trying to imagine what it would be like for cell doors to swing open, security gates to slide back, and tower guards to hold their fire. Liberty! How that name must taunt and torment their souls!
The Apostle Paul had known prison. I don't mean the jails of Philippi, Caesarea, or Rome, but the mental dungeon his guilty conscience had constructed when he realized that the Messiah--the focus of his deepest lifelong yearnings--had become the victim of his frenzied, misdirected zeal.
Then a man came, offering liberty and revealing divine plans for him to testify of the Messiah to kings. The man had given sight to blinded eyes and offered cleansing of sins in the waters of baptism. The chains had dropped away, and the prison gates had swung open (see the Book of Acts, chapters 9, 22, and 26).
Later this freed prisoner wrote to other ex-cons: "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another in love" (Galatians 5:13). Even today some who would be released from sin wonder if their new life in Christ might be merely a new confinement. Will they be set free only to be imprisoned in liberty?
Have no fear: since Christ has set me free from the chains of sin and death, I willingly submit to Him. I want to lock the door against temptation. I enjoy the security fence around my wayward heart. I know that I am my own warden, guard, and chaplain. I can walk out any time I want, but I don't want to. Why should I? I am not imprisoned; I enjoy protective custody from all that would invade, recapture me, and throw me into that dungeon once again. Liberty is my new home, and I like it here.
Steve Singleton has written and edited several books and numerous articles on subjects of interest to Bible students. He has taught Greek, Bible, and religious studies courses Bible college, university, and adult education programs. He has taught seminars and workshops in 11 states and the Caribbean.
Go to his DeeperStudy.org for Bible study resources, no matter what your level of expertise. Explore "The Shallows," plumb "The Depths," or use the well-organized "Study Links" for original sources in English translation. Sign up for Steve's free "DeeperStudy Newsletter."
Thanks to Walt Disney's "The Lion King", children the world... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of July 7,... Read More
1. Once a week, visit somewhere you've never been before.... Read More
Ever read a book that's changed your life? Most of... Read More
At SPIRIT Connections, we believe that the most powerful tool... Read More
Hello Creative Entrepreneurs!The moral of that story is to follow... Read More
I am sharing one of the great insights.The fear that... Read More
Are you ready for a change? Is it time for... Read More
Trying to predict stock price movements is necessary, of course.... Read More
When people talk about enrichment, they are usually thinking of... Read More
We all accept the fact that the lighter the backpack,... Read More
At some stage of living your life you will ask... Read More
Writing a book or creating a killer headline requires a... Read More
The story of the three bricklayers has been around for... Read More
I've spoken with many people who, over time, have felt... Read More
There are Angels for everything and they are just waiting... Read More
The other day I found myself frustrated with the slow... Read More
It has been six months since I left the corporate... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of August 25,... Read More
Who is Wallace Wattles? Wallace D. Wattles died over 90... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 23,... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 2,... Read More
Goal Setting and Relationships?That is not as weird as it... Read More
Exploring beneath the surface of a reoccurring relationship issue can... Read More
Recently a romantic relationship came to an end and I... Read More
If you walk up to a stranger in the grocery... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 24,... Read More
DREAM IT, CREATE IT, BECOME ITIf you've been reading my... Read More
A subscriber recently wrote to me and asked me to... Read More
All this week I have been singing.This week I have... Read More
1. Retire the word "retirement" from your vocabulary. Look it... Read More
People often ask me how they can improve their lives.I... Read More
A LOST WORLD OF SOULWhen you hear the word 'divination',... Read More
Boy, do I feel old. Or at least older.No, I... Read More
1. We all have a purpose in this life time.The... Read More
Mankind's ability to give life to lifeless objects, gives rise... Read More
I always had an active imagination when I was young.... Read More
Talking with friends, people I meet on a regular basis,... Read More
The Emmaus Journal QuietnessAs a state of being, quietness is... Read More
Emotions are the most powerful forces inside us. Under the... Read More
"?beauty on your earth is a shadow of the beauty... Read More
How often do you decline an invitation because you have... Read More
Huh? You're probably wondering when this article was written, and... Read More
When people talk about enrichment, they are usually thinking of... Read More
Even immediately after my car accident, every single person who... Read More
I imagine when we die we find out how in-tune... Read More
In Corrogue I count my Blessings.These are numerous. There is... Read More
Sometimes we are concerned with being right and we don't... Read More
It is time to take responsibility for our actions and... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of February 9,... Read More
A LOST WORLD OF SOULWhen you hear the word 'divination',... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of July 1,... Read More
"For man, as a specie, and unlike other inhabitants of... Read More
Let us grasp and treasure each precious moment of our... Read More
The physics professor with the unruly shock of white hair... Read More
"Come out of the circle of time and into... Read More
For one who takes pride in being involved with different... Read More
A new twist on a familiar quote - Chances are... Read More
What are the odds of someone doing extraordinary things if... Read More
Have you heard a nature hymn? For example, a whir... Read More
I love the sounds of melting snow-plink, plink, ting, ting,... Read More
Soaring 700 feet above the forest floor is a granite... Read More
Here's a simple parable with an important moral.Each mirror, you... Read More
Many of us invest quality time and energy into our... Read More
Did you ever wonder how you ended up where you... Read More
Humanity seems to be the only species that never seems... Read More
Inspirational |