- Luke 4:18 - The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.
- Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
Many people appear happy on the outside, but internally, many live in bondage. In Luke 4:16-21, Jesus clearly states His mission: He came to set us free. Jesus breaks the chains of sin. All people have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and the result of this is living apart from Him. But thanks to Christ's death and resurrection, when we accept His gift of forgiveness by faith, we gain freedom. God also wants to free us from persistent sins—such as envy, malice, and bitterness. The Holy Spirit lives inside every believer and gives the strength to resist wrong choices. Sometimes God gives immediate change, and sometimes He provides us with guidance and strength in an ongoing struggle. God created humans with a void in their hearts that only He can fill. Even if we try to fill that void with other things—whether with things that seem good or with clearly wrong choices—in the end, we remain empty. True satisfaction comes only from God Himself. If you are one of those people who seem to have everything in order on the outside but feel anxiety and emptiness on the inside, this can be changed. Jesus Christ is the only Person who forgives sins and fills every empty space in the heart.
Reflection
In which area of your life do you need the freedom that Jesus offers, and are you ready to confess it to Him today?