Freedom from Slavery to Sin

In a fallen world under sin and a curse, we develop a distorted view of reality. We see freedom as the ability to indulge ourselves in everything we want to do. We see God has being a mean cosmic killjoy for not allowing us this freedom. And even if we decide to go along with what God says, we feel ourselves grand and noble for giving up such obviously desirable stuff for God’s sake. The Scripture wants to reorient our thinking here. We are told that those who commit sin are slaves to sin (John 8:34; Romans 6:16; 2 Peter 2:19). We can see this with the gross sins: alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography, and similar addictions. They start out as pleasurable and attractive and something desirable. But over time, craving sets in, and it becomes difficult to even try to give it up. It becomes clear that you do not have it; it has you. But we need to realize that other sins can have the same effect. We can start out grumbling and complaining about every minor inconvenience until we develop a habit of complaining that is hard to stop. We can go around telling tales about other people until we acquire a need to have things to tell about others. Every sin we start out thinking is a good thing is, in the end, a form of slavery that takes us captive.  

This therefore requires us to rethink our ideas of freedom and slavery. From God’s perspective, sin is not a good thing we heroically give up, but a slavery He has come to deliver us from (John 8:36; Romans 6:18; Galatians 5:13). For the fact of the matter is that sin, far from being a good thing, is the thing that would have destroyed us (Romans 6:21-23). As C. S. Lewis points out in The Screwtape Letters, Satan cannot produce a real pleasure, for every good thing comes from God (James 1:17). But sin is taking those pleasures in the wrong way or at the wrong time or in the wrong amounts. Underneath that is a set attitude of self-centeredness. We think we can live for ourselves, but ultimately we will end up either serving God or serving sin, with the consequences involved in that choice. Now do not get me wrong; I am far from claiming I have accomplished this change of perspective. I still fight with seeing sin as desirable and something to be pursued. But I believe the goal must be to change our way of thinking until we see sin the way God sees it. This, I believe, must be the ultimate answer to the accusation that if we are saved by grace, why not just go out and sin? God has paid an enormous price to rescue us out of that slavery (1 Corinthians 6:20; Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24,25). Why would we want to go back into that bondage?

A Touch of Humor - Worst People

Is the problem with the Christian church in this country not having enough of the best people? What is the problem?

Old Erich Proverb - Mud

When people fall we should try to help them get back up, not grind their faces into the mud.

A Voice from the Past - Bernard of Clairvaux

We must not rank ourselves too low; and with still greater care we must see that we do not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, as happens when we foolishly impute to ourselves whatever good may be in us. But far more than either of these kinds of ignorance, we must hate and shun that presumption which would lead us to glory in goods not our own, knowing that they are not of ourselves but of God, and yet not fearing to rob God of the honor due unto Him.

Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153, On Loving God, Chapter II, (from Calvin
College Ethereal Library, made available by Paul Halsall)

What is the right attitude toward ourselves? How can we avoid attributing the things God gave us to ourselves?

The Rustic and Worship

There was a rustic who lived on the outskirts of the kingdom and who had gone to the big city to learn how to better serve the King. As he investigated, he found there where different ways to praise the King and His deeds. He decided to explore the different options.

The first group he visited followed the high traditional approach. They had elaborate and well-thought out proclamations and rituals that obviously went well back in history. Many of these were very beautiful and included depth of thought and theological consideration. The rustic found himself overwhelmed and awed by the majesty of the service.  But some seemed unnecessarily overdone, and when he asked what some of them meant, no one he asked seemed to know. He asked them why they followed this pattern, and they said it was because they had always followed it, which did not seem an adequate reason.

The next group he visited was oriented to contagious excitement.   They were enthusiastic, very spontaneous, shouted loudly, and danced. He found their open expressions of joy over the greatness of the King invigorating. The rustic found himself clapping his hands and singing loudly, carried away by the emotion. But he also saw a lot of running around and activity that was hard to follow. Sometimes they seemed just disorderly and out of control.

The third group was characterized by considered restraint. They eliminated everything that was simply traditional or disorderly in their eyes. They restricted themselves to certain obvious things, such singing and preaching. The rustic found the simplicity and lack of excesses calming. But he felt uncomfortable about being characterized by what he did not do. And he had to wonder if they were throwing out the baby with the bath water.

The final group was laid-back and mellow. They had the loose camaraderie of singing around a campfire. It had a friendly closeness that was attractive, without obvious extremes. The rustic found himself pulled into the simple celebration of togetherness. But the whole thing seemed too simple. It lacked the depth found in the other forms. And he found himself asking if the superficial feeling of well-being would stand up in real trouble.

The rustic walked away, studying the King's manual. While some of the extremes were spoken against, he could not find that any of these approaches was clearly commanded. He had to wonder if there was not some virtue in each of them and if they should all get together and try to learn from one another. But perhaps this was too much to expect.

Rejoices with the Truth

Love and truth are often portrayed as contraries. But Scripture regards them as fitting together (1 Corinthians 13:6; Psalm 85:10,11; Ephesians 4:15). This is important. Love without truth can become a vague sentimentality. It can end up giving people what they want, without ever asking what is really best for them. Truth without love can become harsh and even cruel. It can run rough-shod over people, without considering how to genuinely help them. We need both elements together.

The place that these come together is with Christ and His death on the cross. This is put forth as the truth and the only way to God (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25). But it is also the great expression of  God's love (Romans 5:6-8; 1 John 4:9,10; John 3:16). And our response to God's love is for us is to love others (1 John 4:19-21; 2 Corinthians 5:14,15; Galatians 5:13,14). But we are also required to stand for God's truth (Jude 3; Romans 16:17; 1 John 4:1-6). Now the two together change how we approach the situation (I Peter 3:15; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; Colossians 4:5,6). For it is only with both that we can do the work of God.

Importance of Hope

Have you ever hit a barrier that you felt you could not make past? Ever reached a point where you said, “I can’t take it anymore,” and it did not go away? At such a time what is most needed is hope. But there is a bigger problem that engulfs the whole human race, of which our individual problems are only a symptom. And it is an even greater barrier than all the individual ones we face. That problem is the problem of sin and death. The Bible says that we are all sinners in rebellion against a holy God (Romans 3:23; Isaiah 64:6; Jeremiah 17:9). This has resulted in a world under a curse (Romans 8:19-23; Genesis 3:16-19; Revelation 22:3), ending in death (Romans 6:23; 5:12-21; Genesis 2:16,17). But we are helpless to change this situation by ourselves (Romans 8:8; 7:18; John 15:5). But we are told that, in spite of the seeming hopelessness of the situation, there is hope (Romans 8:24,25; Hebrews 6:18-20; Galatians 5:5). What then is this hope based on?  

This hope comes from God, who in order to deliver us from the trap we had gotten ourselves into, became a human being (John 1:1-18; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 2:9-18) in order to pay the full price for all the wrong we had done (1 Peter 2:24,25; Colossians 2:13,14; 2 Corinthians 5:21). This was in fulfillment of the promise that God made in the beginning and that many had hoped for since then (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 9:1-7; Hebrews 11:13-16). The result of this is that those who put their faith in Him (Romans 4:4,5; Ephesians 2:8,9; Philippians 3:9) are forgiven for all their wrongdoing (Ephesians 1:7; Romans 3:24-26; Acts 26:18). Therefore, we are saved to hope for an ultimate deliverance, in which God will remake this evil world we are in now into one that fits His original intention (Titus 2:13; Revelation 21:4; Philippians 3:20,21).

But though this is so, we still in the present have problems, even problems that might seem too big for us to endure. But our hope in God puts these into perspective (John 16:33; Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Also, even if God does not immediately remove the problem (sometimes He does, but frequently He does not), we know that God is at work in our lives to accomplish His will even through the suffering (Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 2:10; 2 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, we can trust Him for all of life (Proverbs 3:5,6; Psalms 127:1,2; Hebrews 11:6). And if we can trust Him for our eternal salvation and all of life, should we not be able to trust Him for the particular situation we are in now? I do not promise you that God will deliver you from the circumstances you are in. But if He does not, He will, if you trust in Him, bring you through them. And in the final analysis, it is this hope in Him that makes the difference in how we face these situations.