The gospel is freedom: a message proclaimed by men and women that have been captured by freedom. Captured by freedom; an oxymoron, I know. But that’s the way it is. Slavery is normal, freedom is not. We must be captured by freedom, we are born into slavery. The only true liberation is that which comes from someone freeing us from the slavishness of ordinary life.
Before Jesus rescues our captured heart sin reigns. Did you know your heart has a throne? I didn’t know that before I understood the gospel. I thought I controlled what I did. That was a lie. I controlled nothing. I didn’t even control what I thought about. Sin was reigning and ruling. I never did one good thing, because even my good things were orders carried out from the sinful throne.
And then I was captured by freedom. You know how a spring day feels – I mean that first spring day after a long winter? The air is a warm coolness. The sky is crisp. The sun is bright. It feels like freedom. It feels like the gospel. You just want to sit there soaking it up. It is as if you have come out of anesthesia, feeling comes back, and a smile is hard to keep away. This is the freedom of new life. This is like the gospel. God has freed us. Life reigns now.
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1).
Run free, soul. Run free. You have been captured.