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Houdini's
Hardship
Harry
Houdini, the great escape artist, bragged that there
wasn't a prison cell that could contain him for more
than thirty minutes.
It has been said that a certain town built a
new prison cell and invited Houdini to come and see if
he could escape from it.
Houdini accepted the challenge.
He entered the cell, closed the door, pulled
the curtain, and began to try to use his remarkable
skills to get out of the jail.
Thirty minutes later, the curtain was drawn,
and there on a cot sat a dejected Houdini.
He had tried every trick he could think of but
still - he was unable to escape!
The jailer walked to the cell, and without a
key, simply opened the cell door...
- It had been UNLOCKED the whole time! -
"Houdini's
hardship" illustrates the serious problem that each
of us has due to SIN.
By
our OWN choosing, we imprison ourselves within the
confines of SIN.
We sin by breaking the law of God (1 John 3:4) and by
failing to do what He wants (James 4:17).
And, "whoever commits sin is a slave of
sin" (John 8:34).
Then,
despite our best efforts, we - like Houdini - are
unable to free ourselves from the prison of SIN.
Understanding the dilemma of sin, the
Apostle Paul cried, "O wretched man that I am! Who
will deliver me?" (Romans 7:24).
Then Paul answered his own question: "I
thank God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans
7:25).
We
find ourselves caught in SIN, a prisoner of our OWN
device. We struggle in so many different
ways to get out on our own, but despite our best
efforts, we are unable to break free from the sin that
has enslaved us.
And like Houdini, many simply GIVE UP -
resigned to their hopeless condition. But
there is GOOD NEWS! The door has been
UNLOCKED for us by God's own Son - by the blood that
He shed on the cross!
On
the cross, Jesus paid the price to set us free from
SIN. "In
Him we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His
grace" (Ephesians 1:7).
All
that is required to be freed from the bondage of SIN: is
a response of submissive, obedient faith to
what Jesus has done for us.
Those who place their faith
in Jesus (Acts 16:31), repent
of their sins (2 Corinthians 7:9-10), confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and
are baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sin
(Acts 2:38) are set free from sin - they have passed
through the "door" that Jesus has UNLOCKED for
them!
Christ
died to set us free, but NOT free to have our OWN way
or to indulge our selfish desires. That would lead
us right back into bondage!
Listen to the Apostle Paul: "What shall we
say then? Shall we CONTINUE in sin that grace may
abound? Certainly not!
How shall we who DIED to sin LIVE
any longer in it?
Or do you not know that as many of us as were BAPTIZED
INTO Christ Jesus were BAPTIZED INTO His death?"
(Romans 6:1-3). As
long as we CONTINUE to follow
after Jesus, He will keep us free from SIN.
Imprisoned
by sin? DON'T
try to be an escape artist!
Follow Jesus; He will set you free.
God bless you.
David A. Sargent
/
Allan Eldrige
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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