On December 31, 2024, I turned 75 years old. Four days later, on January 4, 2025, my husband, and most of my children, children-in-law, and grandchildren celebrated with me my 75 years of life on this earth. I had requested that those who could, that they would play their musical instruments and that we would all sing. I love to hear my family sing and play their musical instruments together. So I sent a list of songs that I liked to two of my children, and I think we ended up singing most of them.
Anyway, one of the songs was called, “Chain Breaker.” It speaks of those who have been walking the same old road for a long time, who have been listening to the same old lies, who are trying to fill the same old holes inside themselves. They are those who find themselves worn out from the same old fight, who run to things they know aren’t right. But the good news is that Jesus Christ died on that cross to deliver us from our bondage (addiction) to sin and to give us new life in him, free from slavery, and free to serve God.
And the song then said for somebody who believes it to testify, and so I did. I shared with my family the message of the cross of Christ. For the message of the cross to any who are still in prison to addictive sin is that there’s a better life. They don’t have to continue to live like that. For Jesus died to make a way for them to be free from their chains. He’s the chain breaker. He sets the prisoners free who truly want to be free, who will yield control of their lives over to the Lord Jesus and let go of their lives of bondage to sin.
“He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 ESV)
But the sad reality in our day and age, as it was in the days of old, too, is that many people know the truth of what God’s word teaches us. They know what God requires. They know that they must die to sin and now walk in obedience to his commands. For they know right from wrong. And they know they are doing wrong and not right. So if any of us choose our sins over God and over obedience to his commands, we are without excuse (see Romans 1:18-32). And if sin is our practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God.
Is that harsh? No! It is the most loving thing that I can say to people to let them know the truth of what God’s word teaches about sin and about those who deliberately and habitually continue in sin and who do not make obedience to the Lord their practice. It is love that has me share the truth of the gospel message, for this is about saving people’s lives from hell and from a life of addiction to sin and feelings of hopelessness. We cannot just give lip service to the Lord and then continue in deliberate and habitual sin.
And, although there is certainly a warning in this message, there is also a message of hope and healing and restoration for those who choose the ways of God and not the ways of their sinful flesh. There is hope that they don’t have to remain chained and imprisoned to their sins. There is a way out! Jesus made the way for us to be delivered from our slavery (addiction) to sin so that we can now walk in holiness and in righteousness in walks of surrender and in obedience to our Lord. For Jesus died to free us!!
And I don’t know who all are still living under bondage to sin and who are not. Only God does. And so this message needs to go out to everyone that they may know that Jesus made a better way for us than the way of living for our flesh. And if you already know that, and you are living it, then praise the Lord! Please don’t be offended if you hear the message again coming from my lips. I care about all of you! I cry over those who are still trapped in slavery to sin and who have not yet surrendered it all over to the Lord.
Why? Because I have been there myself. I have been trapped in sin, and I know the hell and the havoc that it created in my own heart and life, and the misery of defeat and failure, and how it separated me from God and from the blessings that he had in store for my life. And then I know the freedom of deliverance from slavery to sin and shutting that door to my past life. And I know the power of God in my life in giving me all that I need to remain pure, and to keep living for him and no longer in defeat! It’s amazing!!
And this isn’t about perfection versus imperfection, for we are all works in process if we are true followers of Christ Jesus. We are still clay in the Potter’s hands being molded to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ, by the Spirit. All the goodness comes from God and not from within ourselves. For this is about captivity vs freedom. This is about bondage vs deliverance. This is about death vs life, and hell vs heaven, and a life without purpose vs a life with purpose, meaning, fulfillment, and eternal rewards.
So, please don’t play with sin. Please don’t assume that God is okay with you continuing in deliberate and habitual (addictive) sin. He is not! And it isn’t that he lacks grace, either. He is full of grace, but his grace trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await his soon return. And his grace frees us from slavery to sin (from our chains) and gives us the power to live godly, morally pure, and upright lives and no longer as slaves to sin. Amen!!
[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
My Sheep
An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Based off John 10:1-30 NIV
My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.
So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.
Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…
They know my voice, so they follow me.
https://vimeo.com/114938263
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