We all can have a Prison

Acts 28: 25-29

Jan and I have a cousin who is serving seven years in a federal prison for making some very bad choices.  He had asked Christ into his life before any of this happened, but had let the culture guide his heart and mind and did little to feed his spiritual life.  He has now served more than half of his time in prison and he and I exchange email often.  I’ve been to the prison and it is called a low security prison, but to visit it requires that you fill out in advance a paper with personal information and when you arrive on the time and days that he can have visitors, you must come empty handed, no cookies, no books, and you wait for a guard.  Next you go through two large gates an it becomes apparent that you are now in a prison with two large fences with razor wire and you are going to a building that is also separated by those fences from the prison.

Our cousin has become a student of the Bible, in a little over three years he finished more Bible studies than is required by many in seminary and is putting Scripture to memory, and isn’t that great.  It’s wonderful, but knowledge without application will set us up for a big fall called pride.  I’ve tried to encourage him to begin sharing his faith in prison, to ask the Holy Spirit, who is our teacher, to teach him how to apply these truths while confined, for we all have been to many Bible studies and came away with smarts but it did not effect the way we lived outside of the church setting.

Being a prisoner of Christ as Paul was and knowing that though confined to a cell with guards, it was not because of the breaking of man laws, but to serve in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.  You will recall the second meeting with the Jewish leader and other Jews who came to hear Paul, this is doctor Luke’s account of what took place.  “And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved.  And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet: ‘Go to this people, and say, You will indeed hear but never perceive.  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’  Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”

Now that’s application and that is boldness in love, and we are told by the good doctor that Paul lived there two years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.  Never forget he was not free to go to them, but his life and his message was such that they came to him. 

I’ve come to understand that we all can have a prison, it may be our title, our status, our wealth, or lack of, and unlike my cousin many have no understanding of the prison they are in.  If you are a follower of Christ, and cannot share your faith because of fear of man, you are in the worst of prisons.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice