Jesus’ message of salvation declares that though you have been convicted of sin, the verdict is in: NOT GUILTY! Jesus came to earth to bring the good news of salvation. He came to break every chain the enemy used to bind your life.
In Him, there is freedom for the weary soul. There is healing for the broken heart and deliverance for every person held by fear, addiction, anxiety, pain, or loneliness. This is not empty religion. This is the saving power of Christ reaching for you today.
Jesus was a teacher at heart, so when He returned to His hometown, He naturally taught in the synagogue. In that setting, a man would stand to read the Scriptures and then sit to explain what he had read.
One day, Jesus went to the synagogue, and the attendant handed Him the Book of Isaiah. He opened the scroll and began to read.
Jesus declared that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him and that He had been anointed to bring good news to the poor, healing to the brokenhearted, freedom to captives, sight to the blind, and liberty to the oppressed. He came to announce the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:16-20).
What Jesus Came to Do
Salvation Has Come Through Jesus Christ
More than two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ broke Satan’s chains of bondage. At Calvary, He paid the debt for our sins with His blood. His sacrifice is the good news of the gospel. It can be summed up in one word: salvation.
Salvation is not only for the life to come; it also brings wholeness now. Let this be your year of salvation. God desires that we be whole in every area of life.
Isaiah 61:1 shows that the Lord anointed His servant to preach good news to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to captives. This promise reaches both physical and spiritual bondage.
For additional background on how Isaiah 61 points to restoration, freedom, and Jesus’ mission in Luke 4, see BibleProject’s overview of Isaiah 61.
My friend, today salvation has come to you. You have been under the weight of the enemy for too long. But Christ has broken every chain that held you captive.
Receive His salvation today. You are the righteousness of God in Christ. God made His Son, who knew no sin, to be sin for you. He did this so you might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Heaven’s verdict over your life is settled in Jesus Christ: you are not guilty.
Not Guilty Through Jesus Christ
Jesus’ message of salvation says that by faith in Jesus Christ, you can be free from anxiety, depression, pain, addiction, loneliness, and every other effect of sin. Because of His victory at the cross, the Judge of all has declared that you are not guilty. This is the heart of justification: God declaring sinners righteous through Christ. Christ has redeemed you.
I know this freedom is real because I have lived it. Once, I was a captive to crack cocaine. But when the truth of salvation broke through the darkness, Christ shattered the chains of addiction in my life.
If you or someone you love is battling substance use, spiritual encouragement can walk alongside wise support. The SAMHSA National Helpline offers confidential treatment referral and information for mental health and substance use concerns.
He lifted condemnation from my soul. He filled me with the assurance that I am not guilty. I am a living witness that the word of God still has power to save, deliver, and set the captive free.
Here are six things that can trap you and keep you from knowing the truth that sets captives free. Today is your day to receive the truth of God’s word.
Six Ways Jesus Sets the Captives Free
Freedom from False Guilt Through Salvation
False guilt makes you feel condemned even when you have done nothing wrong. It convinces you that you are flawed, abnormal, or somehow responsible for everything that goes wrong.
The devil exploits unstable emotions and uses false guilt to make you condemn yourself. But salvation has come to you. Jesus’ message of salvation reminds you that you are not guilty.
Jesus set the captives free at the cross. False guilt no longer has the right to imprison you. God does not condemn you, so stop blaming yourself.
The Bible says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
Freedom Through Salvation from Emotional Bondage
Emotional bondage keeps you controlled by your feelings instead of grounded in truth. When small things constantly unsettle you, it becomes easy to live captive to emotion rather than to Christ’s freedom.
Do not give in to your emotions when things do not go your way. Jesus has set the captives free, and you are no longer bound to every feeling. It is okay to be angry, but do not let the sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:26).
When emotions rule you, the devil can lead you to react to feelings instead of responding to God.
False Teaching
False teaching leads people away from God by distorting His truth. Scripture warns us to test every spirit because deception often comes dressed in religious language.
Some religions claim there are many paths to God. But Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
That truth confronts the belief that every religion leads to God. Religion often centers on human morality or a leader’s guidance. But Jesus alone is the way to the Father.
Salvation Frees You from Lies and Deception
Lies and deception keep people trusting in themselves instead of in the gospel. Many believe that good works can save them, but salvation comes only through faith in Christ.
Lying often takes root early in life. The devil uses our desire for acceptance to convince us that we must pretend to be loved.
So people lie about who they are, what they can do, or what they have because they fear rejection. Jesus’ message of salvation sheds light on the truth.
When you know the truth, the truth will set you free. And this is the truth: you are not guilty. If people could free themselves by intellect alone, they would not need the gospel.
But the devil uses lies to keep people from knowing God’s truth. Thank God for salvation, which redeems us from sin through faith in Christ’s work on the cross.
Not Guilty Through Jesus Christ: Freedom from Unforgiveness
Unforgiveness keeps the heart bound long after the original wound. Even when you try to do what is right, refusing to forgive can quietly imprison your soul.
Unforgiveness is a form of self-captivity that harms you more than the person you refuse to forgive. God commands us to forgive, but we must choose to obey. When we hold on to bitterness, we imprison ourselves. Yet through faith in Christ, God has declared you not guilty.
God says, “…if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).
Jesus also illustrated this in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. Even today, many people still carry resentment for years without realizing they are captive to unforgiveness.
Fight the good fight of faith and declare that Jesus has fully paid your debt.
Fear
Fear keeps people in constant anxiety over what might happen next. It feeds worry, magnifies uncertainty, and makes the heart expect bad news before it comes. The Mayo Clinic overview of anxiety disorders can also help readers recognize when fear or anxiety may need practical care and support.
Fear is a form of captivity that the devil uses to keep people anxious and restrained. He knows that if you remain imprisoned by fear, you will struggle to trust God fully.
You will also struggle to walk in His promises. Scripture says, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear…” (Romans 8:15).
It is God’s desire that you live free of fear. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
The truth that the devil does not want you to know is that you are not guilty. The chains that once held you bound to fear have been broken.
Receive Jesus’ Message of Salvation Today
What holds you captive today? Jesus’ message of salvation will free you from every kind of bondage. The door of freedom is open, but you must receive the gift of salvation by faith.
Scripture says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Bring your guilt, your fear, your pain, and your burden to Christ.
Believe in the Son of God, and receive what He has done for you. Today, salvation has come near. Thank God for the gift of His Son.
Jesus is the truth, and He still sets captives free.
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