From the outside, all jails look bad. But from the inside, some prisons rate better than others.

In 1992, The Associated Press published an inmates' list of the nation's 10 best jails. Included in the survey were cell capacity, TV service, meal quality, and visitation rights.

Some jails provide a smoke-free environment, continuing education, and a good library. The first-rated Fairbanks Correctional Center in Alaska, for instance, has a capacity of 194, dormitory-style bunks in single cells, cable TV, regular contact visits, and varied and plentiful meals.

That got me thinking about our relationship to Christ. It can look like a form of imprisonment to someone "on the outside." To an unbeliever, obedience to the faith may seem confining. But from the inside, obedience to God actually opens the door to a whole new world of freedoms.

Paul was familiar with the inside of a cell. He also knew that whether we are slaves to sin or to God isn't determined by where we are doing time. It's a matter of the heart. Paul knew that with bondage to sin comes an ever-increasing hunger for that which dishonors God. With slavery to God comes an ever-increasing desire to do good, to love, and to be grateful for freedoms that bring no regret.  — Mart De Haan