My Own Prison

By Pastor Christian in Thinking About Sunday on 3/1/09

This was the second message in a series on the book of 1st John called “First John, Then Me.” If you missed this or any other message in the series, please visit our podcast page and just look for the title.
Fours things were made perfectly clear in Brandon’s message.

1. God is light. There is no darkness in him at all.

2. You still have a choice, to walk with God in the light or by yourself in the dark.

3. God knows you and thus knows that you have tendencies toward the dark. Consequently, he made the way for your constant righteousness.

4. To willing choose darkness is both ridiculous and isolates you away from God and the people you love!

It literally creates a prison of your own making!

Why would we do this? I don’t know. We are still broken. We are still “in repair.” I have observed that people remain oddly self-destructive. Have you too? I think, it may be because we are ultimately self-hating, but, it does not matter. It’s made moot by the sacrifice of Jesus. It’s emptied of its power to demand despair. It cannot destroy you without your consent. For ultimately, the prison you have created is only made of paper bars. You only despair behind them if you choose to. “If we will choose to repent, He is faithful and just and forgive us our sins” (1:9). He does not need to break us out of the prison, he already set us free! We just need to walk out into the light with Jesus.
Isn’t odd that this “U-turn” of behavior is as at once the hardest and easiest accomplishment of our lives? Why do we persist in darkness when all we ever need to escape is repentance?
Why indeed?
So, I wonder, what’s holding you back? Who is holding you down? What dark cell are you sitting in?
Sit there no more. Call upon your advocate (2:1), the Lord Jesus Christ and walk out of that prison. . .

“My own Prison”  Creed
A court is in session, a verdict is in. No appeal on the docket today just my own sin. The walls are cold and pale, the cage made of steal. Screams fill the room, alone I drop and kneel.

Silence now the sound, my breath, the only motion around. Demons cluttering around, my face showing no emotion.

Shackled by my sentence, expecting no return. Here there is no penance my skin begins to burn

So I held my head up high, hiding hate that burns inside, which only fuels their selfish pride
We’re all held captive out from the sun, a sun that shines on only some
We the meek, are all in One

I hear a thunder in the distance, see a vision of a cross. I feel the pain that was given and that sad day of loss. A lion roars in the darkness, only he holds the key. A light to free me from my burden and grant me life eternally

Should have been dead on a Sunday morning, banging my head. No time for mourning, ain’t got no time

I cry out to God, seeking only his decision. Gabriel stands and confirms. I’ve created my own prison

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