Free from Captivity

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.

Why do we fret over ourselves, as if we were our own property that we had to worry about? We don't worry about other people's dogs or pizza or boots, or even their lives, if that is true, and if we are truly not our own then why would we worry about ourselves. Whose are we? In Isaiah 43 God says "you are Mine". We are God's because he has ransomed us; He paid a price for us instead of leaving us captives to sin. We all know this, or we say we do - but how could something as radical as this not change our lives? Christ bought us with blood, what do we owe in return?

Another thing God says here: "I have summoned you by name". He didn't just shout out "hey you" into a crowd, he personally created and formed you and summoned you - you are His. To summon is to call upon to do something specified; to call together by authority; to rouse into action.

Our heads are pretty sure of the fact that God says, "I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you,thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome". So we know he has called us to do something specified, sometimes we question what it is, and at times why we should obey this summoning anyways. Well, to summon is to call together by authority. God's authority lies in the redeeming blood Christ shed, and the fact he knit us together, actually just about everything gives Christ authority. And on that note, remember how the sinner's prayer involves professing Jesus as both Savior and Lord? Lord means the person in control of your life, that's a big thing to commit to, but you said it. So God has something specific planned for your life and the power to both ask you to obey his plan and to make it work.

The last part of the definition of summon is "to rouse into action". God is pretty much shouting your name and saying "there's someone hurting over there - could you help them out, show them a little of my love?" do you hear Him? That's part of being a Christian is listening to and acting on the call to action. Yeah it's tough, but not as tough as finding someone to pay the price to set you free from sin's captivity.