Remarks From the Reverend

Author’s Note: This is the seventh of a series of devotionals from Psalm 146.

“The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners.”

– Psalm 146:7c

Freedom is on the minds of people everywhere; not just here in the United States, where certain freedoms are granted under the Constitution; however, freedom is what people desire no matter what country they live in or the circumstances they find themselves in. Sadly, looking to others for freedom oftentimes result in disappointment, leading to deeper bondage, enslavement or imprisonment. In this series of articles from Psalm 146, we are finding that our hope and trust cannot be in a “prince,” or a “son of man” or “we the people”; and shifting our hope and trust to the Lord God, our Creator, is necessary, who gives us many reasons why we should do so. Giving “freedom to the prisoners” is just another case in point as we learn from the last part of verse 7 of Psalm 146. The Lord God of Jacob freeing the prisoner goes a lot deeper than what we might think when we read this verse. Though it does mean the obvious in some cases; such as being physically imprisoned, whether for legitimate or evil reasons, there is a spiritual element to the LORD giving “freedom to the prisoners,” just as with the other reasons to put our hope and trust in the LORD; and, this will be the focus of this article.

We understand its deeper meaning when considering Psalm 107, verse 10, where it refers to the soul being held prisoner in “affliction and irons.” How is that? According to God’s word the soul is held prisoner being enslaved to its wants, desires, affections and passions driving people to conduct their lives in self-serving ways, thinking that their selfish pleasures can be satisfied as they engage in various forms of sexual immorality, stealing, lying, killing, hating, covetousness, or some other form of idolatrous behavior. They are unrepentant and to ease the pain they feel in their conscience, they claim engaging in sex outside the bonds of marriage between one man and one woman is ‘love,’ but it’s not the love defined by the God of love in His word, in the Law of love (Exodus 20:1-17) and summarized by Jesus Christ in Matthew 22:37-40. Others either don’t care, or don’t know how to break free from the oppressive power of their sinful desires and affections – so they just give up and continue in their sinful living, held in bondage as prisoners in chains. Giving up, many people submit to their affections and desires claiming they were born that way; however, being born a sinner with sinful desires doesn’t justify our sinful conduct against God and His righteous Law

Further, a life of sinful pleasure-seeking reflects the fact of being in bondage or a prisoner to mankind’s inborn sin nature, inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve. Mankind’s depraved or sin nature has rightfully earned us the titles “sons of disobedience” and “by nature children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:2-3; Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 5:12; Genesis 8:21; Romans 3:9-20). Mankind’s sin nature is what holds everyone in bondage as prisoners to serve sin with all its evil passions and desires; such as those listed in Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.

Dear reader, there is good news! God frees sin’s grip on sinners, like you and me, through the washing and regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, as He applies the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed in His one atoning death on the cross. Jesus Christ, who is the Incarnate YHWH, frees prisoners from the grip of their inborn sin, which in turn, frees sinners from their sinful living; from the plagues of vial, unwholesome and unholy passions, desires and affections that afflict the soul, just as we see from 1 Corinthians 6:11 (“such were some of you”). He frees sinners from the bondage to their sin nature by the work of the Holy Spirit changing the heart of stone and giving sinners a heart desiring to no longer serve their sin nature but rather by faith serve righteousness through Jesus Christ to the glory of God, seeking to live a life that reflects a love for God and for his or her neighbor, as defined and commanded by God in His word, the Bible.

Moreover, Jesus gives freedom from the guilt, shame and even the horror of being imprisoned by sin. By His blood Jesus Christ justifies the sinner, freeing sinners from the guilt and punishment of their sins having obtained on the cross the forgiveness of their sins; and is for us our righteousness and only hope of eternal life, peace and joy.

Do you have this freedom? Or, are you a prisoner of your own selfish desires, wants and affections that lead not only to destructive behavior for yourself and others, but also to eternal damnation? Do you feel hopelessly enslaved? Won’t you this day turn from the idols of your heart that imprison you and turn to Jesus Christ in repentance of your sins? He will set you free, even if you are physically imprisoned.

Jesus Christ is the only One to put your hope and trust in. He does what no man can do; He sets imprisoned sinners free to the glory of God (John 8:32; 14:6).

Rev. Richard Stetler, of Hartley, is the CEO and founder of Reformation Gospel Ministries. Visit http://www.reformationgospelministries.org for more information.