Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? Romans 6:16
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
Christ is the great Liberator of the soul, Who sets His people free from the bondage of sin and death. He does not want us to be yoked again to slavery. Much akin to the Israelites who looked back longingly on Egypt, we too can find ourselves wanting to go back to our places of bondage. Go figure. Shame on us. Sin enslaves and destroys and its tentacles are far reaching. Further, we are slaves to whatever we choose to obey. One never sins cheaply – we pay a heavy price for our iniquity. Every sin carries with it a death sentence – it will be a death to something – trust, love, relationships - just to name a few. It is a burden and not a joy. You don’t want to go there and God does not want us there either. Trust me in saying you would rather learn this lesson in a classroom rather than on a field trip no matter how enticing Satan makes it look. Sin can quickly become our master and not the Lord. Sin never stops commanding. Learn to flee from it as you would a serpent. It will always spiral downward. Just like the prodigal that reached the pig pen before he chose to look up.
We must hate all sin yet love the sinner. We are to have an abiding love for Jesus as He went to the cross for us and a hate for our own sin which sent Him there. If you hate sin as sin, you will be watchful against grieving the indwelling Holy Spirit. Satan has many devices to deceive, entangle, and undo the souls of men. He knows that if he presents sin in its true nature and garb, the soul will fly from it rather than yield to it. Remember a poisonous pill is just as poisonous even if it covered in gold, and a wolf is still a wolf even if dressed in sheep’s clothing. It is a great mercy that God looks more upon our graces than He does upon our sinful weaknesses. The Lord did not cast off Peter for his sin rather He looked upon him with love and pity. What kind of merciful love is this? The Lord will not cast away weak saints for their great unbelief. It does not matter how much we may have sinned; we may ask and expect pardon. We have permission to approach the throne of grace at all times – it matters not what your need is, there is freedom in Christ Jesus. Run to the foot of the cross.
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13 (NIV)