"Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men: yea, for the rebellious also that the LORD God might dwell among them." ~ Psalm 68:18
We can choose to be kept from yielding to any temptation which plagues us.
But, if we choose to yield to the temptation, one thing inevitably results --- we become rebellious! If we yield to the temptation to self-pity, we rebel against the fact that the world does not treat us as nicely as we think we should be treated. If we yield to grief, we rebel against God Himself for "taking our loved one." If we yield to the temptation of drink again or overeat or criticize or "blow our tops," this also leads to rebellion against God, because of course, He always knows about
everything.
But wonder of wonders, He has already taken all of the "captives" captive! He has already opened the doors to all of these prisons into which we lock ourselves. He Himself is the door and it is open forever. We can come out if we
choose to come out. And when you see your rebellion, your tears may overflow "his bottle" as mine [Eugenia Price, the author] did when this "red stone" verse came alive. "... that the Lord God might dwell among them." I wept when I saw for the first time that He did what He did on Calvary so that
He could be one with
me. My life before Christ literally demonstrated the meaning of the word "rebel". And since He has redeemed me, I have over and over again rebelled at obeying Him. But the tears flow freely now when I do rebel, and the times of the rebellion grow fewer. I see now that I have no more alibis left. He has already led my "captivity captive". I need not yield to the temptation. I will not be smothered if I do not give in to it. I will not be thwarted. I will be freed. By a Saviour who did what He did because He wanted to "dwell among" one even as rebellious as I. It is a real freedom to see this. We know then some of what Jesus meant when He said:
"If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed."
But wonder of wonders, He has already taken all of the "captives" captive! He has already opened the doors to all of these prisons into which we lock ourselves. He Himself is the door and it is open forever. We can come out if we choose to come out. And when you see your rebellion, your tears may overflow "his bottle" as mine [Eugenia Price, the author] did when this "red stone" verse came alive. "... that the Lord God might dwell among them." I wept when I saw for the first time that He did what He did on Calvary so that He could be one with me. My life before Christ literally demonstrated the meaning of the word "rebel". And since He has redeemed me, I have over and over again rebelled at obeying Him. But the tears flow freely now when I do rebel, and the times of the rebellion grow fewer. I see now that I have no more alibis left. He has already led my "captivity captive". I need not yield to the temptation. I will not be smothered if I do not give in to it. I will not be thwarted. I will be freed. By a Saviour who did what He did because He wanted to "dwell among" one even as rebellious as I. It is a real freedom to see this. We know then some of what Jesus meant when He said:
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