Colossians 1:13-14 (NLT)
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
The apostle tells us Christ has purchased our freedom and taken us from the darkness of sin and brought us into His Kingdom to be free from sin.
New York Times reporter Nicholas Kristof wrote about where he chose two Cambodian prostitutes and attempted to buy their freedom from their brothel owners in an article “Bargaining for Freedom”. He selected young women who were there against their will, willing to tell their story, and actually wanted to leave prostitution.
The first woman, Srey Neth, was a simple transaction. For $150, Kristof left with the girl and a receipt.
Her Mom’s situation proved more difficult, since the brothel owner demanded more money. Kristof writes: After some grumpy negotiation, the owner accepted $203 as the price for Srey Mom’s freedom. But then Srey Mom told me that she had pawned her cellphone and needed $55 to get it back. "Forget about your cellphone," I said. "We’ve got to get out of here."
Srey Mom started crying. I told her that she had to choose her cellphone or her freedom, and she ran back to her tiny room in the brothel and locked the door. With Srey Mom sobbing in her room and refusing to be freed without her cellphone, the other prostitutes—her closest friends—began pleading with her to be reasonable.
Even the owner of the brothel begged her to "Grab this chance while you can," but Srey Mom hysterically refused to leave. Srey Mom only stopped crying when Kristov agreed to buy back the cellphone too. Then she asked for her pawned jewelry to be part of the deal.
--- So often are we not the same? Christ has purchased our freedom and then we want to turn and run back to our sins. We find reasons, unjustly, to return to that sin. Yet we keep hearing Christ say, “We’ve got to get out of here!” Listen to Christ and flee from the sin holding you captive.
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
The apostle tells us Christ has purchased our freedom and taken us from the darkness of sin and brought us into His Kingdom to be free from sin.
New York Times reporter Nicholas Kristof wrote about where he chose two Cambodian prostitutes and attempted to buy their freedom from their brothel owners in an article “Bargaining for Freedom”. He selected young women who were there against their will, willing to tell their story, and actually wanted to leave prostitution.
The first woman, Srey Neth, was a simple transaction. For $150, Kristof left with the girl and a receipt.
Her Mom’s situation proved more difficult, since the brothel owner demanded more money. Kristof writes: After some grumpy negotiation, the owner accepted $203 as the price for Srey Mom’s freedom. But then Srey Mom told me that she had pawned her cellphone and needed $55 to get it back. "Forget about your cellphone," I said. "We’ve got to get out of here."
Srey Mom started crying. I told her that she had to choose her cellphone or her freedom, and she ran back to her tiny room in the brothel and locked the door. With Srey Mom sobbing in her room and refusing to be freed without her cellphone, the other prostitutes—her closest friends—began pleading with her to be reasonable.
Even the owner of the brothel begged her to "Grab this chance while you can," but Srey Mom hysterically refused to leave. Srey Mom only stopped crying when Kristov agreed to buy back the cellphone too. Then she asked for her pawned jewelry to be part of the deal.
--- So often are we not the same? Christ has purchased our freedom and then we want to turn and run back to our sins. We find reasons, unjustly, to return to that sin. Yet we keep hearing Christ say, “We’ve got to get out of here!” Listen to Christ and flee from the sin holding you captive.
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