“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is slave to sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” (John 8:34-36 NLT)
The above words to Jesus’ Jewish listeners were offensive, as they believed they were descendants of Abraham and had never been enslaved by anyone, yet, without forgiveness from the only Son of God, they would forever remain enslaved by the sin that scarred their heart and damned their soul.
That message continues to challenge us today as so many believe their religious upbringing, straight moral compass, compassion for others, or a thousand other human attributes can earn them a place in heaven, never stopping to consider the wrath of sin cannot be erased by human behavior, only by divine intervention. The Cross alone purchased for us the freedom we need from our sin, but allegiance to the One who died there is the only path to receive it.
The path of sin is wide and inviting, but the narrow way to heaven is our only hope of escape, and when we find it, we are compelled by the Spirit to share how we escaped with those who are still following the path of their sin. Dietrich Bonhoeffer challenges us when he writes: “Nothing can be more cruel than the leniency which abandons others to their sin. Nothing can be more compassionate than the severe reprimand which calls another Christian in one’s community back from the path of sin.”
The sad truth is Satan doesn’t stop tempting us when we become a Jesus follower. On many levels he intensifies his attacks. If he can’t keep people from going to church and committing their lives to Jesus, he can do his best to keep them ineffective in reaching their friends, family, and others in their spheres of influence for the Lord.
The two greatest tools of Satan are discouragement and busyness. He may not be able to keep us from Jesus, but if he can keep us discouraged or too busy to really invest ourselves in God’s eternal Kingdom, he’s still got us where he wants us – ineffective in reaching lost people for Jesus. If I were to ask you: “With how many people have you shared your love for Jesus in the last month?” how would you respond? You might wrongly believe that you witness everyday by just being a good person, doing your job, not cussing, loving your family, and paying your taxes, but there are millions of people who don’t even know Jesus who do those things.
The path of sin is filled with very good people who have never turned from death to life by yielding their life and allegiance to Jesus. The issue isn’t niceness or goodness and badness; it’s life or death. Have you been given new life through a transforming relationship with the only Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ?
But here’s the truth to which Bonhoeffer was addressing: sin isn’t simply an issue for lost people, it’s also a major issue with saved people. Our sin nature isn’t eliminated at our new birth, but we are, by God’s grace, given the Holy Spirit to empower us to live above it. However, it often takes new believers time to learn how to submit to the authority of the Spirit and accept His empowering presence to enable us to live above the power of sin.
Remember the powerful words of John in 1 John 2:1: “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He Himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins – and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” Prayerfully, you may no longer wrestle with habitual sin, but you certainly know someone in your spiritual family who does. Be God’s agent of healing by helping them to understand their need of forgiveness, the infilling, powerful presence of the Spirit who indwells them as God’s child and commit to walk with them through the deliverance and healing process of being free from the sin that so easily entangles them.
Jesus purchased our freedom on the Cross. We have the power, authority, and obligation to walk in that freedom and to share it with others. The path of sin is treacherous and is taking its deadly toll, but thanks to the Lord Jesus, we have victory and deliverance through the Cross. Let’s commit to living like it!
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 