Psalm 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.

We are all captives, all of us. We get to choose our captors. Would you rather be held captive by someone who hates you or someone who loves you? I am captivated by the love of Christ.

The world we were born into is the dominion of Satan. Satan’s penalty for his part in original sin, the deception of Eve, was to be cast out of paradise and into the dust, death, the realm of death.

John 10:10a The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: (the one who hates us)

John 10:10b I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (the One who loves us)

If you should be tired of being held captive by sin, pain, abuse, and loss; then choose Christ. How you get to choose Christ is simple enough. Open the door to your heart when He knocks and let Him in, not to be a guest in your home, but to be the Lord of the house.

The redemptive work of the Cross of Christ can only be accepted by faith. Since He died to set the captives free, to give them life eternal, to restore lost relationship, then we might want to examine faith next.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Grace, unmerited favor, comes through faith and faith is the gift from God which makes it all possible.

Isaiah 48:17 Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines redeemer as one charged with the duty of restoring the rights of another and avenging his wrongs. This title is peculiarly applied to Christ. He redeems us from all evil by the payment of a ransom.

Payment of a ransom is in reference to justification, being held ransom for the debt we owe. Another way to see redemption even more clearly is an exchange of something of no value only at a redemption center for something of value. This is an image of being born again, exchanging the old dead life we led for a life in Christ.

Allow me to refocus on the opening verse and expand on the truth stated therein. While our redeemer has paid our ransom and set of free from the penalty of sin, He is the one that teaches, leads, and is the Way we should go.

We do err if we think that being redeemed from the penalty of sin, death, is all there is to redemption. Being bought with a price, we now become His. He gets to do with us according to His will. We no longer have a choice in this relationship, any more than we did in the law of sin and death.

We have to learn. He would not have us be ignorant. We need to be obedient to be led, rebellion is not an option. Since He is the Way, when we walk in the Way, we are not alone, He is with us. I know for some this is not a message they embrace, they cry out, “I am free in Christ.” You are free from the penalty and power of sin in your life, not its presence.