Are You In Chains?

Are you feeling maybe this morning that you are in chains, that you are tied down, that you are isolated?

Maybe you are feeling a bit lonely as well.

Well, there is one person who understands how you feel and his name is Paul, the apostle.

If we look at the Book of Philippians Chapter 1 and verse 12, he says:

“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things that happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”

You see, he was in isolation. He was locked down and you know what he did? He used his chains as a trophy.

I looked up in the Oxford Dictionary, the word, “trophy” means a cup or decorative object awarded as a prize for a victory or a success.

Paul, because of his attitude, turned defeat into victory and we also have that choice today, to use this opportunity as a witness to the whole world, how a Christian handles a potential disaster, either for a victory or a defeat or to concede defeat and play into the hands of the devil. Don’t do that!

It is our choice.

Just in closing, I just want to quote something to you that was written by Jim Elliot, that young missionary in the 1950’s, I think it was, who was martyred for his faith. He said, “It is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Remember, the blood of the saints is the seed of the church.

After his death, people said, “What a waste.” No, thousands of students, all over the world, went out into the world to preach the gospel to the lost.

Today, let those chains, that isolation, that lockdown, be a victory for you and for the world!