A SLAVE NO MORE

 

A SLAVE NO MORE

John 8:34-36 Jesus replied, "I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave in not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free." NLT

You cannot be in Christ and a slave to sin. It is impossible to live in sin and follow Christ. Why, because Christ is holy, just as God, our Father, is holy. There is no difference in the way God despises sin and Jesus despises sin. There is no allowance for sin to rule the heart of a believer. Jesus came to take away our sin, not tolerate or excuse it. If you are living a sinful life you are a slave to sin and not a child of God. You can't have it both ways. Either Christ is changing the way you think and live or He is not your Savior and Lord. It is way too easy to excuse sinful behavior under the guise of eternal life. We must be careful. God is holy and does not excuse or justify sin.

Jesus sets us free from sin. Indeed, when Jesus rules the heart He frees us from the death grip on our souls that motivates us to sin against God. He changes our desires so that we no longer are comfortable when we sin. We begin to understand that sin is not appropriate for the child of God and seek to keep our hearts pure before Him. When we do sin, we become convicted of it and seek His forgiveness and help so that we will do it no more.

He who has eternal life in Christ breaks away from the sinful life he once knew. He begins to think and act like a child of God. If Jesus has set you free from the life of sin, you are indeed free and your life shows it.