Paul said in Ephesians 4:1 that he was “the prisoner of The Lord,” and in Ephesians 3:1 he said that he was”the prisoner of Christ for the sake of the Gentiles.” Have you ever felt hemmed in, constrained by some situation, stuck in a place you can’t get out of. That is is exactly where Paul was. He was under house arrest in Rome for two years, constrained, and restricted because of the behavior of others, and yet that wasn’t how he saw his situation at all. He didn’t believe the Romans were writing his story. He didn’t believe he was their prisoner, or that he was any kind of victim of circumstances, or people’s evil actions toward him. Paul believed that he was the prisoner of Christ, and that God had a redemptive purpose for it all. He said he was there for the sake of the Gentiles. He believed Jesus was the one who writes his story, and that he was Christ’s captive, not Man’s. Remember, in 2 Corinthians Paul said that he had been TAKEN by the love of Christ, and Paul was now a victim of that love, which controlled his life. Be assured if you are restricted in life, by people or circumstances, you as a person In Christ, aren’t victims, or life’s prisoners; instead you are prisoners of Christ, who has placed you there, and He has a redemptive purpose for it all. I believe because Paul believed that, he was totally free in his inner man, though constrained outwardly. Attitude always determines altitude. Though imprisoned, FLY.
