In the run up to Christmas 2011 we went along to the Foundry Church in Widnes where they were putting on a production with a Christian twist of Scrooge.

I had never watched or read anything of Scrooge, the Christmas Carol or even Charles Dickens before. The production was excellent, so much so that I decided that I would download the story on my Kindle and read it. I completed it last night or perhaps I should say in the early hour of this morning and enjoyed it.

While reading it on the Kindle I highlighted a phrase from where Scrooge is talking to the ghost:

“You are fettered,” said Scrooge, trembling, “Tell me why?” “I wear the chain I forged in life,” replied the ghost. “I made it link by link, and yard by yard: I girded it on my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it.”

So many have passed on from this life into eternity with the same problem, fettered because of the sin that has snared them, chains that have been forged and worn through their own making. Chains consisting of links that have come from addictions, immoral living, unrighteous behaviour etc. The Bible says that we are al born into this world as sinners, we are born fettered with the effects of sin upon mankind and as we move from childhood to manhood we add further links to the chain. The sad reality is this that once one has passed from this life into eternity the chains that have fettered will never be removed but the good news is that they can be removed in this life. Jesus came into the world to bring us freedom, freedom from the power of sin, freedom from the curse of sin. Jesus went to the cross to die for OUR sin, and in dying for OUR sin he was breaking the power of that sin upon us. All we need to do is come to him and acknowledge our sin, repent of it and accept that he has made the sacrifice on our behalf for it. The moment we do this the fetters and chain of sin that ensnares us is broken away and we are set free. Jesus said that those who come to know the truth will be free – and he is the Truth and in coming to know him we are set free.

One hymn writer (Charles Wesley) puts it this way in his hymn, And can it be:

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

The ghost in the Christmas Carol had failed to come to Christ to get rid of sin. What about you, are you still fettered with your sin? How about starting this new year set free by accepting the one who came and died for you to set you free – The Lord Jesus Christ.