Ephesians 2:1-10
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
~ In 2013, I was dead in my trespasses and sins and found myself in prison for a second time hopelessly addicted to crack cocaine.
Addiction to drugs had seeded itself in my flesh at an early age and I was now in full bloom of addiction. My mind was consumed with thoughts of how I can get more drugs to use and my flesh lusted for the high I would receive. I had become a thief and a drug addict and I was following the path of disobedience headed for a certain death with hell as my promise. I was actually living in a hell here on earth that I had created for myself because I could not stop using drugs.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love for me saw me where I was and He rescued me. On May 19, 2013, I was arrested for 6 felony counts of theft and sentenced to prison. That is the day I refer to as the day I was “Captured By God”.
For by grace I was saved through my faith when I believed in Jesus Christ and I received Him as my Lord and Savior and surrendered my life to Him on a prison chapel floor weeping and crying begging Him to save me. And He did!
That day, I became a disciple of Jesus Christ when I traded in my old life addicted to drugs for a new life as a servant and follower of Jesus Christ. Old things are passed away and all things are new. My flesh was crucified along with the addiction that was in it and I became a new creation who walks in the spirit and is not led by the desires of my flesh anymore. There is no addiction in Jesus!
I am no longer led into disobedience and destruction by the lusts of my flesh and by the prince of the air but rather now I am led by the Spirit and by the Prince of Peace, Mighty God and Everlasting Father! I now walk in the Spirit and in the good works He has prepared for me before I became addicted and was led astray.
Praise be to God who delivered me from the captivity, darkness and hell of addiction back to my God, Jesus Christ! He will deliver you too if you believe in Him, have faith in Him, trust Him and surrender your life to Him and become His disciple!
Evangelist Michael Bowen