Matthew 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
There are persons who were once drug addicts, who got their act together by zipping up their boots, and grabbing the bull by the horns, and by appropriating the resources and help available, many have kicked the bad habit and have gone on to get their degrees and now have excellent credit scores, and they lead honorable lives.
This is all well and good, and the results are worthy of commendation, but this is not the deliverance God is referencing, when He speaks of setting the captives free. Unless a person is set free from the “person” it is not real deliverance, for many are still in bondage even though they might have a stunning array of good habits to show. To put it plainly, good habits, in and of themselves are not necessarily indicative of freedom from the bondage the Bible speaks of.
For instance, the rich young ruler did not manifest any bad habits, as far as we know. He was an honorable member of the society he lived in and he was well respected by all. Yet, as he himself confessed, there was something gravely lacking, some unknown void in his life which he struggled with, and which he could not explain. He is shown in the scriptures to be in bondage to a person, yet retaining good habits.
Matthew 19:18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!