“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.’” (John 8:34 NLT)
In the early 1970’s Dr. Karl Menninger published a book entitled “Whatever became of sin?” In the era in which we now live sin is so advertised, applauded, and accepted that it doesn’t seem to be problematic except to those whose sin has captured and incarcerated them.
Dr. Menninger wrote: “When a trout rising to a fly gets hooked on a line and finds himself unable to swim about freely, he begins with a fight which results in struggles and splashes and sometimes an escape. Often, of course, the situation is too tough for him. In the same way the human being struggles with his environment and with the hooks that catch him. Sometimes he masters his difficulties; sometimes they are too much for him. His struggles are all that the world sees and it naturally misunderstands them. It is hard for a free fish to understand what is happening to a hooked one.”
It seems at times that those of us who profess the sacred name of Jesus lose sight of the struggles we had, or perhaps still have, with our adversary. As an unbeliever we finally came to the end of ourselves, admitted our inability to meet our own needs, and sought forgiveness and new life in Jesus.
It seems ironic to me that we then too often forget or ignore the same issues with which we wrestled when we see them in a friend or loved one. It’s as if we look down from our ivory tower of perfection onto the peons who don’t have enough willpower or grit to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. How quickly we forget from whence we’ve come.
God’s heart grieves the lostness that infects the lives of so many today. When I was growing up there was still such a thing as public shame and humiliation. Now the vile and ungodly behaviors of people are celebrated and extolled as desirable. Pastor Corky Calhoun wrote: “Modern sin is no longer confessed and repented, it’s now declared and celebrated!”
The world today is dark and frightening. Even a trip to the grocery causes thoughts of fear from what we might encounter or who might be lurking, waiting to take whatever they can from whomever is vulnerable enough not to put up much of a fight. But my concern, as I hope is yours, doesn’t focus on how dark the world is. It’s always been dark, that’s why Jesus came in the first place.
Only the light of Christ’s purity can chase away the darkness of our dying souls. Only our devotion and determination to walk closely to Him will free us from fear and anxiety because of what “might” happen. Fellow Jesus “freaks,” we already know what the future holds, and it isn’t fear if we know, love, and serve King Jesus.
Fear is for the “fish” who are still hooked, still struggling to be free, never stopping to realize that freedom is a gift we can never give ourselves. It’s a gift that was bought and paid for by the blood of our Savior. Though sin is commonly, openly, and disgustingly celebrated, we as Jesus followers can be the light that can point the way to freedom, wholeness, and hope in Jesus.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 