
Isaiah 49:14-26
Message No. 0710 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca
Sometimes people struggle for a long time after giving their lives to Christ. With all the good intentions, some people may have understood from the message of the gospel that every struggle will disappear as soon as they say ‘I accept’ to the invitation to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. Of course, we all know that, of all the things that Jesus promised His disciples, there was not a promise saying we will not be tempted or that we will not face opposition or challenges.
The struggles that people face after giving their lives to Christ have sometimes made them to doubt their salvation or faith in Christ. Take, for instance, a guy who has been addicted to phonography all of his adult life. If this person gives his life to Christ today, it would be a miracle if he is never again tempted to go back to catch a glimpse of what he left behind. If his situation is not properly handled, he could be rebuked so sharply by the believers around him that he may actually leave the fellowship and return to his miry clay.
The reality is that people struggle with the baggage of vices they were carrying before accepting the gospel and surrendering their lives to our Savior. I have given the example before, that I attended a church in the past, where people would come out from inside the church to the church entrance and smoke some cigarettes and go back inside. I was on a flight one day, and a few minutes before we landed, the pilot announced that upon landing, everyone should remain in their seats because the authorities would need to come into the cabin, and until they leave, no one should stand up from their seats. I was wondering what happened, because this was the first time out of my many trips that I would hear this kind of announcement. And truly, the authorities did come in, went straight to the back of the plane, and grabbed one guy from his seat and led him out of the aircraft. When we asked the cabin crew what happened, we were told that the guy was smoking inside the toilet.
People have been captives to sin and other vices a long time and even after becoming Christians, some continue to struggle with these vices. Their captors (the devil, in most cases) refuse to let them go. If you are in this category, please know that there is help. The Lord who saved you does not give up. He does not retreat, and He does not abandon. Look at what He says in Isaiah chapter 49 verses 24-26:
Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, Or the captives of the righteous be delivered? But thus says the LORD: "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children. I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, And they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. All flesh shall know That I, the LORD, am your Savior, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."
The One who saved you is saying to you, I will deliver you from your captors. Sometimes people go for counseling by joining groups of people who struggle with the same problems. It could be smoking, drunkenness, drugs, phonography, or many more. Counseling is good, but we see many who continue to struggle even after counseling. The lasting solution is a deliverance by the Lord who forgave your sins and turned you to a new creature. Before I saw it happen, it was unthinkable to me that someone would dare to smoke inside the toilet of an aircraft after all the audiovisual warnings before taking off and with the permanent ‘No Smoking’ sign displayed just about everywhere in the cabin. This shows the extent of bondage that people are in.
If you are struggling, please cry unto the Lord for help and total deliverance. In John chapter 8 verse 36, the Bible says:
Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
Do you want to be free? Ask the Son of God to make you free, and you need to stop going back to the places where you are always tempted to do the things you do not want to do. “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible be delivered.” May this week be the beginning of the end of your captivity, in Jesus mighty name. Amen.
PLEASE ACT NOW:
If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!
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