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Proverbs 19:11-19
11 The discretion of a man makes him slow to
anger, And his glory is to
overlook a transgression.
12 The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 A foolish son is the ruin of his father, And the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping.
14 Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the LORD.
15 Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, And an idle person will suffer hunger.
16 He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of his ways
will die.
17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the
LORD, And He will pay back what he has given.
18 Chasten your son while there is hope, And do
not set your heart on his destruction.
19 A
man of great wrath will suffer punishment; For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.
Father God, send you Holy Spirit to humble us and show us
we are sinners. Remove the veil of deception from our hearts; remove our
religious blinders so that we can abide in you and you in us. In Jesus name we
pray. Amen!
Gospel of John 8:33-34 NKJV
We left off two weeks ago with Jesus telling these Jewish
people again who He was; that He was from the Father, that the Father was with
Him always, and what He was saying was the Fathers words. Jesus tells them if
they believed who He was and what He was saying they would be free of the
chains of sin. They wouldn’t be slaves of the sin nature that all human beings
inherited from Adam and Eve via the Devil that is the owner of the sin nature.
It is because of the sin nature that we act the way we do; that the world is
the way that it is; that America is in the shape that it is. It is the blood of
Jesus that redeems us and makes us a child of God when we repent of our
actions, ask for forgiveness, and ask Jesus to lead us in our life.
Enough said let’s see what these Jewish listeners have to
say about bondage which also applies to the Jewish people and the Gentiles of
today.
33 They
answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in
bondage to anyone. How can You
say, 'You will be made free'?"
They
answered Him, We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to
anyone; This is a most
remarkable declaration by these Jewish people, and a false one. Their fathers
had been slaves in Egypt; their nation had been enslaved in Babylon; it had
repeatedly been subject to the Assyrians; it was enslaved by Herod the Great;
and was, at the very time they spoke, groaned about being under the dreadful
and unbearable bondage of the Romans.
It is no wonder they
couldn’t see the bondage of sin when they couldn’t recognize they were slaves
under the Roman Government. Sometimes we really have to stop and think; dig
really deep into our habits and lifestyle; humble ourselves and admit we are
sinners and need a Saviour; that we aren’t good according to God’s Standard.
How
can You say, 'You will be made free'; These Jews
are thinking physical while Jesus is speaking spiritual. Jesus is speaking of
being in bondage of sin due to the fall of Adam (inherited sin nature). People
will say anything, however false or ridiculous, to avoid and oppose the truth. People
groaning under the most oppressive bondage are often unwilling to acknowledge
it in any manner, and are offended at being charged with it. This is the case
with all sinners. Sin, and the bondage to sin, produces passion, irritation,
and a troubled soul; and a person under the influence of passion regards little
what he says, and is often a liar. There is need of the gospel and only the
gospel can set people free, calm the anxious, create meekness within, and
become lovers of truth; and since every person is by nature the servant of sin,
he should without delay be seeking an interest in the gospel, which can make
him free.
Bondage blinds the heart
just like a young person gets into a relationship with another that is of poor
character. The innocent can’t see the road they are going down because of love.
They have love bondage blinders on. This is the way the Jews were, they had
religious blinders on, do you?
34 Jesus
answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you,
whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
Jesus
answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you; In this verse Jesus
was telling these people that they were sinners, and, therefore, “servants of
sin,” and consequently not “free!” He is not referring to political bondage,
but to the slavery of the soul; to evil passions and desires.
Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin; What exactly
does this phrase mean? Does it refer to a single sin? Does it refer to sin as a
result of temptation? This phrase has a lot more meaning to it than what
appears on the surface. Being a slave to sin applies to both believers and
nonbelievers, but with two different outcomes. This is something I also
struggle with just like other believers. When I was saved Jesus removed several
things from my life but left others. Why, I don’t fully understand, maybe as a
trial to see if I will remain faithful. Maybe it is one of those mysteries we
aren’t to fully understand, or it is to help us grow in faith. The Apostle Paul
also struggled with sin in his life because Paul tells us that in Romans 7:15-25 I do not understand what I do. For what I want
to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
16 And if I do what I do not want to do,
I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but
it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in
my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry
it out. 19
For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to
do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no
longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find
this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my
inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my
body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law
of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from
this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So
then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a
slave to the law of sin.
We
don’t know what Paul struggled with, but with verse 25, Paul tells us that his
true desire; his thoughts; his goal was not to sin, and as long as his faith is
anchored in Jesus Christ, he was on the right track toward Heaven. When he
would sin it was due to the sin nature within, and sinning was not his true
desire; he didn’t delight in sin; he didn’t plot out schemes to sin; etc. His
true desire was to please God.
To
help understand more of the sin nature the rest of this lesson will deal with
the sin nature in our lives both believers and nonbelievers. This is something
of utmost importance that we need to fully understand so that we can place our
faith properly in Jesus Christ and why He died on the Cross of Calvary for us
along with His Resurrection. I’m going to quote some expositor notes here with
a summary following on this topic of being a slave of sin. Read these slowly
and pay attention to the commas and semi colons to help get the full meaning of
what is being said.
John Gill: “Whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of
sin; which must be understood, not of one that commits a single act of
sin, though ever so gross, as did Noah, Lot, David, Peter, and others, who yet
were not the servants of sin; or of such who sin through ignorance, weakness of
the flesh, and the power of Satan's temptations, and especially who commit sin
with reluctance, the spirit lusting against it; nor indeed of any regenerate
persons, though they are not without sin; nor do they live without the
commission of it, in thought, word, or deed; and though they fall into it, they
do not continue and live in it, but rise up out of it, through the grace of
God, and by true repentance; and so are not to be reckoned the servants of sin,
or to be of the devil. But this is to be understood of such whose partiality and
bent of their minds are to sin; who give up themselves unto it, and sell
themselves to work wickedness; who make sin their trade, business, and
employment, and are properly workers of it, and take delight and pleasure in
it: these, whatever liberty, they promise themselves, are the servants of
corruption; they are under the government of sin, that has dominion over them;
and they obey it in the lusts thereof, and are drudges and slaves unto it, and
will have no other wages at last but death, even eternal death, if grace
prevent not.” This verse parallels this topic of slavery to sin. Romans 6:16 Don't you realize that you become the slave of
whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death,
or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.”
Do
you see that Gill said the same thing as Paul? It is what our will is; what our
heart wants; it is how sin affects us and what we do; do we immediately want to
reconcile with God? Do we talk about (gossip) people and think nothing of it or
do you struggle with the sin of gossip?
Paul
also teaches about being a slave to sin in Romans. The following explains the
laws of bondage or being a slave to something and who a slave obeys.
Romans 6:16 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?
Albert Barnes: “Don't you
know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves; The
objection noticed in Romans 6:15, {which is (What then? Shall we sin because we are not under
law but under grace? By no means!)}, the apostle answers by a reference
to the known laws of servitude or slavery, Romans
6:16-20,
and by showing that Christians, who had been the slaves of sin, have now become
the servants of righteousness, and were therefore bound by the proper laws of
servitude to obey their new master: as if he had said, “I assume that you know:
you are acquainted with the laws of servitude; you know what is required in
such cases.” This would be known to all who had been either masters or slaves,
or who had observed the usual laws and obligations of servitude.
You
are slaves to the one whom you obey; To whom ye give up yourselves for
servitude or obedience. The apostle here refers to voluntary servitude; but
where this existed, the power of the master over the time and services of the
servant was absolute. The argument of the apostle is, that Christians had
become the voluntary servants of God, and were therefore bound to obey him
entirely. Servitude among the ancients, whether voluntary or involuntary, was
rigid, and gave the master an absolute right over his slave, Luke 17:9; John
8:34;
John 15:15. To obey, to
be obedient; or for the purpose of obeying his commands, to whom ye come under
subjection, that is, you are bound to obey his requirements.
Whether
you are slaves to sin, which leads to death; The general law of servitude the apostle
now applies to the case before him. If people became the servants of sin, if
they gave themselves to its indulgence, they would obey it, let the
consequences be what they might. Even with death, and ruin, and condemnation
before them; they would obey sin. They give pleasure to their evil passions and
desires, and follow them as obedient servants even if they lead them down to
hell. Whatever be the consequences of sin. Yet he who yields to it must abide
by them, even if it leads him down to death and eternal woe.
Or
to obedience, which leads to righteousness; The same law exists in regard to
holiness or obedience. The man who becomes the servant of holiness will feel
himself bound by the law of servitude to obey, and to pursue it to its regular
consequences. Unto justification; that is, unto eternal life. The expression
stands contrasted with “death,” and doubtless means that he who thus becomes
the voluntary servant of holiness, will feel himself bound to obey it, unto
complete and eternal justification and life; compare Romans 6:21-22. The
argument is drawn from what the Christian would feel of the nature of
obligation. He would obey him to Whom he had devoted himself. Romans 6:21-22 What benefit did you reap at that time from the
things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now
that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit
you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”
JSM: “One must notice, that Jesus used the
word, “whosoever,” meaning that
irrespective of who the person is, if they “commit” or practice sin, they will
become, and quickly so, a “servant of sin.”
Every
single unbeliever in the world, and irrespective as to how religious he may be
(believing in the wrong thing), is a “servant
of sin.” As well, and as Paul also addressed in Romans Chapter 6, even
Believers can come under the bondage of sin once again, with it ruling in their
lives (Rom. 6:12), if they do not properly understand that their victory is in
Christ, instead of their own efforts.
In
Truth, and sadly so, there are many if not millions of True Believers, who
truly love the Lord, and are striving to please Him, but have a misconception
of what Christ truly did for them, and despite all of their efforts, are in
fact, “servants of sin.” To be
honest, we fool ourselves, if we think this is not true. And yet, in a moment’s
time, and with any Believer, if they can truly understand what Jesus has
purchased for them, and what He truly did, and will have Faith in this, they
will immediately be set free from this “weight
and the sin, which doth so easily beset them” (Heb. 12:1).
Too
often, Believers attempt to overcome in a wrong way. Consequently, their life
becomes a constant struggle, which is anything but the “rest” promised by
Christ (Mat. 11:28–30). The Believer does not have to do anything to overcome
sin, and in fact can do nothing to overcome sin, even by prayer, fasting, the
memorizing of certain Scriptures, etc. While these things are extremely
important, and will greatly advance the individual in Christ, and draw him
closer to the Lord, still, these efforts as holy and righteous as they may be,
if carried on in this manner, constitute “works,”
and will not, and in fact cannot, bring victory over sin.
Even
though the Believer should do these things constantly, which we have just
mentioned, still, if we do them in the capacity of which I have stated, in
effect, whether we realize it or not, it is saying that Christ did not finish
the task at Calvary and the Resurrection, and something else needs to be done
or added to His finished work. Consequently, this is something God will not,
and in fact, cannot honor.
We
are to totally trust what Christ did at Calvary and the Resurrection,
understanding that He did it solely for us, and we were in fact in Him by Faith
(Rom. 6:3–6), and that He completed the task. He broke the grip of sin within
our lives, in that Satan now has no more hold on us. We should believe that and
understand that, and “rest” in that.
When we do, having Faith in that, the overcoming sin will instantly fall away,
and the person will be instantly victorious. That means the sin which some have
fought so hard and so long, and made no headway, but rather have regressed,
will dissipate like fog under a hot morning Sun.
By
simply having Faith in what He did, and that we were in Him (by Faith), thereby
trusting that, this makes us dead to sin, and we are no longer a “servant of sin,” but rather, totally
victorious in Christ over every sin (Rom. 6:11).
Most
of the Church world thinks only of unbelievers as “servants of sin,” but Believers can and do fall into the same category,
and simply because of not fully knowing or understanding their rightful place
and position in Christ. Once again, it is “knowing
the Truth, and the Truth makes us free.” However, it is error in believing
that all Christians have all the Truth. They do not! And in Truth, I think one
could say, without any fear of exaggeration or contradiction, that no Believer,
no matter how mature he is in the Lord, has total understanding of all the
Truth given to us by God. Even Paul said, “Not
as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow
after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ
Jesus” (Phil. 3:12).”
Okay,
going back to verse 34 the word “commit” in the Strong’s Concordance is defined
as practiced; performed repeatedly; habitually. What Jesus, the Apostle Paul,
and the commentaries are saying is when a person sins it is caused by the sin
nature that resides within us. The difference between a saved person and an
unsaved person is that the unsaved willing continue in the sin without any
remorse. They will transgress deeper and deeper into sin. Example; a person may
start out with a single picture of pornography which leads to more pictures,
then to videos and movies, then being obsessed leading to and seeking or
plotting rape or child abduction, etc. Drugs, alcohol, stealing, lying,
fornication, homosexuality, in fact all sin starts and progress the same way.
These people are then a slave to sin; they have no remorse; their faith is in
their flesh; they are consumed in sin.
Now
the saved individual will sin and realize they sin and will be remorseful and
go to the Lord for forgiveness and ask for help to overcome the sin. Their
mindset is to please God; their faith is in the Cross of Calvary; they want
victory over the sin; they want to be more like Jesus; their trust is in Jesus
Christ.
So,
what are your thoughts and actions when you are convicted of sinning? Do you
give it much thought? Are you remorseful? Does it bother you? Is your attitude,
that’s life? Are you a slave to righteousness; Jesus Christ or a slave to sin;
the Devil? Is your heart set on pleasing God or self? Do you struggle with sin;
is pleasing God front and foremost in your life, if so then you are most likely
saved, but if sin is a ho hum attitude and it doesn’t affect you, then you
probably aren’t saved.
Take
some time to do a deep spiritual examination of yourself. Be honest with
yourself in this examination and if need be humble yourself, repent of your
lifestyle, ask Jesus to forgive you, and invite Him into your life to lead you.
Pray the prayer at the end of this lesson with a “sincere heart”, meaning you
want to live according to every Word of God and not man, and He will save you.
Read Bible scripture daily with a true desire to learn and live by the Word of
God daily.
I truly pray and hope I haven’t confused you and that you
have a better understanding of what and how the sin nature works within us. Romans 3:23 for all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans
6:23 For the wages of sin is
death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The key to salvation is realizing we are
sinners and we need God’s Grace and not religion.
Colossians
1:16
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him.
Romans
3:23 for
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans
6:23
For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most
assuredly, I say to you,
unless
one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
The
Lighthouse Full Gospel Church
Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you
believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!
“Lord Jesus I know I am a
sinner. I confess my sins to you; I am
sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful
lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness. I believe that only you can forgive sin. I commit my life to you and ask you to come
into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life. I believe that you died to set me free from
my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and
right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are
the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my
Savior.” I believe this and have faith
you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my
heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”
(John
3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8;
10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10;
1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal.
5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)
