Forgiveness, Grace, and Freedomনমুনা

God’s Provision for Daily Freedom

If forgiveness and grace can bring freedom to my life, what do I do once I have this kind of victory? What examples should I follow to bring the gospel to the world around me?

Your freedom is meant to be shared. It is meant to spare other people harm.

In Acts 27, Paul, a prisoner, was taken by ship into stormy seas. Paul had a sense this would go badly, and he warned his Roman guard and the ship’s captain that they would suffer much loss if they ventured into uncertain waters. They ignored Paul and sailed anyway.

The storm that came upon them got so bad that for two weeks, none of the 276 people on the ship saw the sun or moon. Rather, they all gave up hope of surviving. Paul, suffering this same uncertainty, then was visited by an angel who promised that all lives would be spared, but all the cargo would be lost. Why was God sparing their lives? Because of Paul’s presence and intercession. The angel told him, “God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you” (v. 24).

Paul’s freedom became their freedom. This freedom continued to spread.

Everyone swam or floated to shore. It was raining, so Paul, being industrious and helpful, gathered wood to make a fire for their survival. While he was doing this kind act, a venomous viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself to Paul’s hand. But God was working in this situation to bring freedom to others. Instead of letting that viper stick to his hand and pump poison into him while he sat there with his lip quivering, feeling all sorry for himself, Paul instead shook it off. In other words, he wasn’t going to let that poison into his bloodstream. He knew better than to dwell on that pain.

Of course things got worse right after that. Rumors started among the islanders who said, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live” (Acts 28:4, NKJV). Talk about piling it on.

But because of these unusual circumstances and the healing power of Jesus through Paul, God brought island-wide revival. Everything turned around. Paul’s pain—and Paul’s freedom from bitterness—saved the lives of 276 people on the boat and saved the souls of countless hundreds or thousands on that island. That’s how God works.

Once you start the healing process, its ripple effect can change not only your life, but everyone you encounter.