Wednesday Bible Blurb “Prisoner” 8 13 2025
One Sabbath when I was a young teenager a man entered services as a new attendee. Johnny Cash sang about Folsom Prison blues, and our new attendee was directly out of Folsom prison. While in prison God had begun to work with him and to change him. He did not speak of his prison time very much and soon he was simply an active part of the Church of God. Years later he told me some of his stories. I never found out why he was in prison, but he did tell me he was the “enforcer” over other prisoners. He was what many would call the “Freddy the leg breaker” of Folsom Prison. God can call and change anyone.
Have you ever known someone who was in prison or jail? I know two pastors who spent time behind bars and God called them out to do His work. Consider this, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Rom. 3:23-26). This is such good news as we all have sinned and are now justified by His grace through our faith.
Joseph was in prison and God blessed him. (Gen. 39:19-20). The prophet Jeremiah was put in prison by the king of Judah. Jeremiah was first put into a mud pit (cesspool of filth), removed and then he was kept in prison until the day Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem. (Jere. 38:6-28). John the Baptist was imprisoned and killed. (Matt. 4:12). Peter and John were taken by the Sanhedrin and thrown into prison for preaching Christ the Messiah (Acts 4:1-22). Peter and James, the brother of John were put into prison, James was killed by Herod and Peter was miraculously released. (Acts 12:1-11). Paul was taken a prisoner to Rome where he ended up preaching to members of the household of Ceasar. (Phil. 4:22). So many of God’s people have been in prison and God has used them to do mighty works and wonders.
There are different kinds of prisons. The prison of our mind. The prison of our thoughts. Folsom Prison. Paul and Silas were bound over to a Roman prison in Philippi and around midnight they began to pray sing hymns to God while the other prisoners were listening. What was a Roman prison like? Often, there were caves without lights or any sanitation. Food was scarce and water was brackish. Rodents would prey on those with wounds inflicted by the Roman lashings. Chained hand and foot to the walls, sitting in their own excrement, unable to move about, unable to lay down to sleep, chains cutting into their flesh and in all this Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God. No wonder the jailer washed them up when released. (Acts 16:25-34).
We need to be released from our personal prisons caused by our sin. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We are dead to sin without Jesus. We are prisoners of our coming death unless we submit to Jesus. “Likewise, you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our LORD.” (Rom. 6:11). Become sinless like Jesus, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Gal. 5:1). It is sin which causes our bondage, our personal prison. It is God who saves us and gives us His life, free from bondage. “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’” (Rom. 8:15). We should thank God for pulling out of the prisons of this earth.
Jesus is releasing all from our prisons. Peter said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38). Repent, turn away from sin, be baptized to receive God’s wonderful gift of His Spirit in us, this is how we are released from our bondage.
“Freddy the leg breaker” was a wonderful Christian for the many years I knew him. How about us, are we free from our prison?
