We Need Not Be Captives

The Lord your God will turn your captivity, and have compassion on you. — Deuteronomy 30:3
But I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. — Romans 7:23
Charles Spurgeon

Author

Charles Spurgeon

Summary: Sin can lead even God’s people into bitter captivity, depriving us of freedom, power in prayer, and delight in the Lord. We must be watchful lest we fall, but we must never despair if we are already enslaved: Christ paid far too high a price for our redemption to abandon us to the enemy. Freedom is found by returning to the Lord, confessing sin at the foot of the cross, and obeying His voice with all our heart and soul. When we forsake our idols and submit to the living God, depression and dejection can disappear. We need not remain captives; we can soon return to citizenship in Zion.

The Unshakeable SanctuaryListening and Obeying God

God’s own people can sell themselves into captivity through sin. This is a very bitter fruit from an exceedingly bitter root.

How terrible is bondage when the child of God is sold to sin, chained by Satan, deprived of his freedom, dispossessed of his power in prayer and of his delight in the Lord! We must be watchful lest we fall into such captivity; but if this has already happened to us, we must by no means despair.

But we cannot be kept in slavery forever. The Lord Jesus Christ has paid too high a price for our redemption to leave us in the hands of the enemy. The way to freedom is, “Return to the LORD your God.” Where we found salvation at first, we shall find it again. By confessing sin at the foot of Christ’s cross, we shall find forgiveness and deliverance. Moreover, the Lord wants us to obey His voice in accordance with all that He has commanded us, and we must do this with all our heart and with all our soul, and then our captivity will end.

Often, depression of spirit and deep dejection of soul are taken away as soon as we forsake our idols and bow in obedience before the living God. We do not need to be captives. We can return to the citizenship of Zion, and we can do so quickly. Lord, bring back Your captives!

Source: The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith. Translated by Allan Roman.

http://www.spurgeon.com.mx/chequera/meditames/mayo.pdf