Acts 26:24-29

Acts 26:24-29
English Standard Version (ESV)

  This is the power of the Gospel -- that a man in chains, a prisoner of the Law, might be able to tell a King that the King is enslaved and the prisoner is free.  There is no greater power than the Gospel that sets prisoners free and brings the dead to life.  Each and every one of us is enslaved by sin and death -- it binds itself around our necks and around our souls, and no physical chain compares to it.  The Gospel of grace promises us true freedom -- freedom that extends beyond the grave, freedom that goes beyond our external circumstances.  It is the great leveler, in that we all bear the same chains and have the same opportunity for freedom.
  So what does this power mean for you?
  It means that your circumstances should not define you, for in Christ, you are rich beyond measure, and your wealth cannot be torn from you.  You are loved beyond compare, and no force in the universe can separate you from this love. You have been redeemed by your God, who sent his only Son to suffer and die so that you might be set free for life.  You have been destined for life, and the chains that bound your soul have been severed from you forever.
  So do not believe for a moment that whatever trials and tribulations you face define you.  May you have the same boldness as Paul, setting aside the struggles in life and being defined by love and grace, and having such compassion for others that you do not hesitate to extend the offer to all of eternal life and grace and peace.