I thank you Abba Father for a seal and a cross, which is my claim to freedom as a prisoner for Christ.
A Prisoner for Christ
I feel the weight of my chains:
Each link that’s sanctified
Shortens the leash
And draws me nearer
To Him.
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:25
My Thoughts
In Matthew 16:24 Jesus told the disciples that they would need to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him. In order to partake of the life He offered, they had to first, die-to-self. The Biblical principles that undergird our walk with Christ can seem paradoxical.
There is no doubt that Jesus is our Great Emancipator: the One who came to set us free from sin and death. But, because we were purchased with a price, our lives no longer belong to us. Romans 6:22 says that those who have been set free from sin have become slaves to God. The Apostle Paul refers to himself as a prisoner and servant. No one is above this.
I used the illustration of a leash because it signifies our connection and submission to the loving Lordship of
Christ. Jesus is our Savior but He is also our Lord and Master. The weight of my chains refers to the inner tension between flesh and spirit as I press my way. The links define the difference between where we are and where we are going. As we continue to surrender
more of ourselves to Him, the process of sanctification and sacrificial obedience moves us closer to becoming who He called us to be.
For further study: Consider these related Scriptures
Luke 4:18
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Romans 6:18
Ephesians 3:1
1 Corinthians 6:20
James 4:7-10
2 Timothy 2:20-21