The Slave

Acts 8 But a man named Ananias with his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles feet. But Peter said Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold did it not remain your own? And after it was sold was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God. When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last.

For many years I lived in bondage. Bound by all kinds of sin. Addiction, abuse, destructive relationships. I could see no way out. No way to free myself. So I lived in my defeat. Entrapped. Without hope. I had lived this way for so long that it had become a habit, my lifestyle. Comfortable. Familiar. Miserable. I placed myself and my children in situations that were impossible to bring us anything other than shame. Because I could see no worth in myself, I attracted people into my life who treated me the way I saw myself. Because I did not love myself I could love no one else, nor they me.

Finally, someone loved me enough to say, Connie, You are as free as you choose to be. At first this made me furious. No education. No money. No safe place to go. How could I ever be free? But it put a new thought in my head.

Sometimes the road to freedom is a long and lonely one. But for me, it started with a change in my thinking. I was held captive in my mind, primarily. A prison of my own making. I had given to others the power to enslave me.

And then the Lord came to me and asked for the keys to my life. If you will give Me your life, I will make something beautiful out of it. As I opened myself up to Him, He opened Himself up to me. He gave me a joy that, looking back on my life, should not be possible. He mended my broken places and bandaged my wounds by His own stripes. He knitted me back together and filled me with laughter and joy. He gave me a future and a hope, the hope of eternal life.

He had made me free already, I just didn't know it. He had paid for my freedom before the foundations of the world were laid because He was heading for Calvary before the world was. My freedom began with the knowledge that I was free already and choosing to walk in the life of joy that Christ had died to give me.

Galatians 5 For freedom Christ has set us free, stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery...You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from Him who calls you for you were called to freedom.

Ephesians 2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you ONCE walked following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and mind and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved- and RAISED us up with Him (already) and SEATED us with Him (already) in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

I Corinthians 6 Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, no idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such WERE some of you. BUT YOU WERE WASHED (ALREADY), YOU WERE SANCTIFIED (ALREADY), YOU WERE JUSTIFIED (ALREADY) IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND BY THE SPIRIT OF OUR GOD. AMEN. AMEN. AMEN. AMEN.

I Corinthians 7 Let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to Him, and to which Gad has called him.

Ananias had a choice. He made a poor one. He could have given his choices to the Lord and been set free. Were they not his own and at his disposal?

If the Son has made you free, you are free indeed.

To you all: Walk in the freedom that Christ died to give you. It is Yours ALREADY. You just might not know it.