Week 14 - Sunday

No Longer Slaves to Sin

knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he has died is freed from sin. (Romans 6:6-7)

All people (until they put their faith in Christ) are slaves to sin. Each and every person is a descendant of Adam, so consequently every person has inherited Adam's sin nature. Because of this all people naturally have evil desires in their heart. When people give into their evil desires and sin, they become slaves to sin. As a person continues to commit sin they become more and more enslaved to their sin. This is a basic human characteristic and the evidence of it is all around us. We hear about chronic alcoholics, drug addiction, gambling addiction, serial rapists, serial murderers, habitual liars and habitual thieves. Sin is addicting. The truth is that the more a person commits sin, the more they want to do it. The Bible summarizes all sin addictions by saying that people are slaves to sin. In the New Testament Jesus speaks about man's addiction to sin and says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin." (John 8:34). Man's bondage to sin is seen in the Old Testament scriptures as well. Proverbs 5:22 says, "His own iniquities will capture the wicked, and he will be held with the cords of his sin." All people are naturally sinners and when they sin they become slaves to their sin. The big problem with this is that God hates sin and has promised to punish sinners. Unless a person turns away from their sin, they will be separated from God forever.

This is a pretty desperate situation, isn't it. It doesn't have to be though. A person can be freed from their bondage to sin. Jesus said, "the slave does not remain in the house forever; the Son does remain forever. If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:35-36). The good news is that Jesus can free a person from their slavery to sin. Whenever someone repents and puts their faith in Christ, they are somehow taken back to the cross and their old self (which was in bondage to sin) is crucified with Jesus. When a person's old self dies on the cross with Christ, sin's power over them is done away with. That phrase "done away with" has been translated from the Greek word katargeo, which means to make something inactive or invalid. This is the third reason why a Christian will not continue to live in sin, when they died with Jesus Christ they were freed from their bondage to sin.

Countless Christians can testify to the fact that Jesus Christ has released them from their bondage to sin. Those who would frequently use the Lord's name in vain before, suddenly stop swearing all together. Many who once were addicted to alcohol or drugs have broken those addictions after coming to Christ. Dishonest people stop stealing. Those who have been having adulterous affairs can break them off. Homosexuals find they can leave their sinful lifestyle. Broken marriages can come back together. People who have been enemies for years, all at once become friends. All of these things can and do happen when people are freed from sin's control by Christ. It's true that without Christ a person can overcome their addiction to certain individual sins. On their own people stop drinking alcohol or stop taking drugs. They can also stop gambling and stop stealing. However, without Jesus Christ, no one can break their overall addiction to sin. Even though a person may stop committing a certain sin, they are still in bondage to others. Only through faith in Christ can a person's overall bondage to sin be broken.

If you are a Christian, you can see the evidence of this in your own life by the sins you have been freed from. Have you ever stopped to think about where you might be today if you had never come to Christ. Where would your bondage to sin led you? What kinds of sins would you have gone on to commit? You could have ended up in bondage to any number of sins. You don't really know, do you. One can only imagine what might have happened and shudder. Take time now to thank Jesus for freeing you from your slavery to sin.

Readings for today: Gal. 2:20; 1 Pet. 4:1-2; Col. 3:5-10; Rom. 6:17-18