September 04, 2025 | Be God's Family
Locked Up as a Prisoner of Sin
Scripture: Galatians 3:21-25(NIV)
21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
Devotional
When we are young, we have rules. Rules we must follow. We have a bedtime. We have to eat our dinner or no dessert. We cannot eat cookies and ice cream all the time. We must do our chores, make our bed, clean our rooms. We need to be nice to each other.
As children, we have consequences for breaking these rules. Time outs. Sit in the corner. No TV. Grounded for a week. Children look forward to the time they are grown up and can do what they want.
We use these rules to teach us right from wrong. As we grow up, we do not need the strict rules. We can go to bed when we want to go to bed. We can eat what we want to eat. We do not need to wash the dishes, do the laundry or clean the house.
But we quickly learn that we must do these things. If we don’t go to bed on time, we are tired the next day. If we eat too many cookies and ice cream, we are not healthy. If we do not go grocery shopping, we have no food. If we do not clean the house, we leave in filth.
God’s Law is similar. We are given God’s Law to learn what is wrong and right.
One thing that God’s Law does not have is salvation. Only Jesus can provide salvation. After Jesus comes, we are justified by faith. We are not justified by following the law. We do not gain salvation by following the law. We can gain salvation only by Jesus. However, we now choose to follow God’s will because we know it is the right thing to do and more importantly, it is for God.
How can we live our faith every day to show others God’s salvation? How can we follow God’s will to bring others to Jesus?
Poem
From Behind Closed Bars
Psalm 142
Bring my soul out of prison,
That I may praise Your name;
The righteous shall surround me,
For You shall deal bountifully with me.
Psalm 142:7
From behind closed bars
From the gates of hell
This lone pris’ner praye
Long too tired to yell
“I have sinned, O Lord
I do not deserve
Any mercy, love
From Your law I swerved
“But by grace alone
Bring this poor soul out
From this prison cell
Full of shame and doubt
“Bring me into light
Darkened eyes to see
Your redeeming love
Showered down on me
“Then from cracked lips hear
As with tears, come praise
As the chains fall off
And my spirits raise
“For You, Lord, are good
Bountiful in grace
As forgiveness reigns
And I see Your face”
