That we are all sinners is indisputable. That despite redemption by the Blood of Jesus and ongoing sanctification by redeeming grace, we will not be totally free of sin as long as we are in our earthly bodies is also indisputable. What is disputable and should be our fear is that we should become slaves of any particular sin.
For this is one of the victories of the Cross, that we should no longer be under the dominion of any particular sin and it’s father, the devil, but that we should be redeemed by the atoning blood and become adopted children of the Father of Graces by covenant.
The difference between being a sinner and a slave of sin boils down to the degree of effort involved in committing sin. When we deliberately choose to sin as opposed to inadvertently sinning; plot the sin as opposed to erring into sin; relish the sin as opposed to feeling restraint or reluctance and resolve to persist in the sin as opposed to feeling sorrow and remorse – we have been successfully enslaved by the father of sin, satan himself.
There are two ironies involved here. The first irony is that the enemy being the wiseguy that he is, convinces the enslaved sinner that the ability to do whatever he/she wants is the true freedom while the obeying of guiding principles by the one who loved us enough to give up His Son to set us free is the difficult serfdom. As the father of lies and liars, he has been lying and deceiving since the beginning of time and will continue to deceive gullible humans until the end of time.
The second irony is that being the one who deceived our first parents into the sin that brought death into the world, he is the murderer of mankind and the father of all murderers. How then does one let someone who wants one’s soul in the eternal death of hell’s fires enslave one? He has no goal but continuous hell for his slaves, and indeed all mankind, if he could get his way. He certainly does not love them or bring them joy, which is why they always come up feeling empty despite all that he offers them.
We would never deliberately befriend someone who wishes us dead over someone who wants us to have an abundant life, talk less of willingly surrendering our senses and bodies to be enslaved by such a person. Even in this world, we would never choose to follow someone that we know does not wish us well eventually over someone who loves us and longs for us. This is the choice that a slave of sin makes.
But praise be to God that His redeeming grace through Jesus Christ purchases our liberty from slavery to sin and slavery to idols. Praise be to God through His Holy Spirit for the power to reject temporary pleasures and eternal punishment. Praise be to God for the freedom He bestows on all to choose and choose wisely regarding the offers placed before us. Praise be to God for the knowledge in His Word that acts as a lamp for our feet as we continue our pilgrimage in life. Praise be to God for never giving up on anyone of us and holding out hope that we will step out of the slave chains that have been broken by His Son. Amen!!
Hilltop Thoughts, Valley Strengths 