Released from Satan's Bondage

When our Lord died and then rose again He defeated Satan and set all His people free from his bondage. It is a fact of Scripture that all who are outside of Christ are under the domain of Satan and his kingdom. They are not free to make godly or righteous choices. They are bound under the control of the evil one who is the prince of the power of the air and all unbelievers are 'the son's of disobedience'. Eph. 2:1-6
When someone, by the amazing grace of Almighty God, surrenders to the Lordship of Christ and becomes 'saved', Christ delivers that person from satan's power and control. But not from his torments. The devil actually becomes angry at that new believer and wrecks havoc in his life, especially immediatly following their conversion.
This passage in Hebrews 2:14-18, gives a great deal of comfort to believers, when it tells us that our Savior Jesus has brought us out of the devil's bondage and has released us from the fear of death that is in the heart of all unconverted people. A real sense of darkness and separation in death grips the heart and emotions of people that are apart from Christ. How blessed we are to be delivered from that fear and are given real promises from our Lord that He is with us at the hour of death and will bring us immediatly into His presence and glory.
It is a great truth that Jesus became like us in all things, except sin, so that He could truely be our perfect High Priest. He was faithful in all He did as a man, always obeying His Father and doing all that was needed to accomplish the redemption of His people. He was also merciful in His sacrifice, because we did not deserve so great a forgivness and pardon. He made 'propitiation' for our sins, which means that by His perfect sacrifice on Calvary, He turned the wrath of God away from us and turned it upon Himself. He covered our sins and its punishment by being punished in our place. Like the prophet Isaiah said in 53:4-6;
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
What a Savior we have. He has done it all. He even helps us in our temptations. We do not go through these trials on our own strength, but because He was tempted even as we are He can relate to what we are going through and He gives His people aid in their time of need.
Just call out to Him whenever you are felling weak or ready to fall, He will come quickly to your aid. Praise Him always.

Delivered from the Power of Death

Heb. 2:14-18  Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
This is such a powerful passage, but I seem to be saying that alot through this study. Hebrews is so jam packed with powerful messages to God's dear people. In this passage we see Jesus taking on human flesh and blood so that He could truely become one of us. He had to be human and also God in order to destroy the power that the devil had over us. He fulfilled what Adam could not. Perfect righteousness, obedience to the letter, always doing exactly what the Father wanted Him to do. Only the One who had been tested in every way as we are could be the merciful High Priest. Only the One who had responded to every test in perfect obedience could be the faithful High Priest, without sin and worthy to offer Himself as the unblemished sacrifice. The writer of Hebrews points this out in chapter 7:26, For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens.  also in chap 9:14, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God..
I'll look at verses 16-18 in the next blog.