John 8:34-36
..."Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin... So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."
From the very moment we are conceived in our mothers' wombs, we are born into slavery; not into slavery to a human master, but into a slavery to sin. No one besides Jesus Himself has ever gone even a single day without sinning against God; we are caught and trapped in its grip, unable to escape no matter how hard we try. Nothing from ourselves can help us, not knowledge, not desire, not power; it is our master, and we are its slaves.
But the story doesn't end there. Yes, it's true that we cannot get ourselves out, but there is One who can - Jesus. The Son came into this world "to proclaim liberty to the captives" and "to set at liberty those who are oppressed." He paid the high price and traded His liberty for ours, then three days later rose from death and claimed back His own life. He now reigns triumphant over death, having defeated it and put it under His submission until the day when He will utterly and completely destroy it. This is such a victorious and beautiful thing for those of us who belong to Him! We are no longer caught in the grip of sin; we are no longer trapped without escape! We are free, because He has bought us with His own blood.
But if we are truly free from sin, no longer under its authority, why do we continue sinning? If Jesus has overthrown its power, why do we keep submitting ourselves to it? The Bible describes it as when a dog returns to its own vomit, or when a pig after cleaning itself goes back to the mire to again become filthy. God shook off those shackles, so why do we keep putting them back on? Although we cannot completely rid ourselves of sin here on this earth, it is our constant mission to destroy them one by one, becoming more and more like Christ with every advancement. Whereas it is true that we have no power to destroy sins in our life, Jesus has every power to do so; He has already won the war, we just have to claim the victory. So let's stop going back and putting ourselves under our old slave master, but instead hate him with a great and fiery passion. When the devil tempts us by saying, "You are too weak, and your sins are too strong" let us respond, "Indeed, I am far too weak, but I have an advocate who is more than strong enough to vanquish any temptation brought in my way!" We are more than conquerors in Christ, for He has given us His power to destroy sin. Let us live like who we truly are; let us live like free men.
..."Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin... So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."
From the very moment we are conceived in our mothers' wombs, we are born into slavery; not into slavery to a human master, but into a slavery to sin. No one besides Jesus Himself has ever gone even a single day without sinning against God; we are caught and trapped in its grip, unable to escape no matter how hard we try. Nothing from ourselves can help us, not knowledge, not desire, not power; it is our master, and we are its slaves.
But the story doesn't end there. Yes, it's true that we cannot get ourselves out, but there is One who can - Jesus. The Son came into this world "to proclaim liberty to the captives" and "to set at liberty those who are oppressed." He paid the high price and traded His liberty for ours, then three days later rose from death and claimed back His own life. He now reigns triumphant over death, having defeated it and put it under His submission until the day when He will utterly and completely destroy it. This is such a victorious and beautiful thing for those of us who belong to Him! We are no longer caught in the grip of sin; we are no longer trapped without escape! We are free, because He has bought us with His own blood.
But if we are truly free from sin, no longer under its authority, why do we continue sinning? If Jesus has overthrown its power, why do we keep submitting ourselves to it? The Bible describes it as when a dog returns to its own vomit, or when a pig after cleaning itself goes back to the mire to again become filthy. God shook off those shackles, so why do we keep putting them back on? Although we cannot completely rid ourselves of sin here on this earth, it is our constant mission to destroy them one by one, becoming more and more like Christ with every advancement. Whereas it is true that we have no power to destroy sins in our life, Jesus has every power to do so; He has already won the war, we just have to claim the victory. So let's stop going back and putting ourselves under our old slave master, but instead hate him with a great and fiery passion. When the devil tempts us by saying, "You are too weak, and your sins are too strong" let us respond, "Indeed, I am far too weak, but I have an advocate who is more than strong enough to vanquish any temptation brought in my way!" We are more than conquerors in Christ, for He has given us His power to destroy sin. Let us live like who we truly are; let us live like free men.