November 1
November 1
We should never deny or underestimate the addicting, enslaving power of sin.
It is dangerous to dabble in sin. We allow ourselves to do what God has forbidden because sin presents itself as good and satisfying—when it is the exact opposite. Part of sin’s deception is that it doesn’t come with a warning label. It masquerades as beautiful and good, when actually it is ugly and destructive. No matter how sin presents itself, it is never good for us. Sometimes we take a little taste of what is prohibited, thinking we can handle the danger. We enjoy the temporary pleasure of the taste of sin, so we go in for more. What we don’t realize is that we have begun to develop a taste for what we never should have consumed. Before long, that momentary rebellion has become a habit. This sinful pleasure is now a regular part of life. Our conscience is guilty, but we brush it off with excuses. We tell ourselves that everything will turn out okay in the end. After a little while, we find that this sinful habit has become an addiction. Now we can’t live without the thing we once dabbled in. We tell ourselves we’re going to stop, but we don’t. We hide our addiction to this evil thing, while denying that we live under its control. We have become a victim of the enslaving power of sin. It is depressing to admit, but we now live under the power of something we cannot control.
The Gospels record for us many of Jesus’s wise and loving warnings. One of the most important is found in John 8. We do well to take these words to heart. They are the result of God’s keeping and protecting grace:
Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:31–36)
Jesus taught his followers that the truth would set them free, but they were confused. They thought that because they were the offspring of Abraham, they weren’t enslaved to anyone or anything. So Jesus spoke a very needed word of warning about the enslaving power of sin. His broad statement includes us all and allows no exceptions: whoever sins is a slave to sin. You cannot sin and escape its slavery.
Sin enslaves each and every one of us, and we have no power on our own to escape its hold. This means we are in need of rescue, and that rescue is found only in the freeing grace of the Son, the Lord Jesus. Praise Jesus today for his liberating grace, and don’t allow yourself to dabble in what God has forbidden.