Slavery Of Sin

Slavery of Sin

Pastor Russell Henderson

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

[Titus 3:3 NIV]

Have you ever heard someone say something like, “I just want to be free to do what I want and live my own life”?  I think it is quite ironic that they usually use the term “freedom”.  When in reality it is just the opposite of freedom—it is slavery.

The scripture above says, “At one time we were….enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.”  The definition of  passions is “to lust or covet, specifically for things forbidden”.  How many times have we witnessed someone pursue forbidden lusts all in the name of freedom.  The definition of pleasures is “anything that brings pleasure or makes one feel good”.  We get our English word “hedonism” from this word. 

This scripture makes it very plain that the one who lusts after the things of the world and passionately pursues things that appeal to his flesh has become a slave to those things.  The Greek word for enslaved comes from the root word “deo”.  Deo means “to bind or fasten together”.  You see when you are enslaved by something or someone, you are bound, or fastened to it.   You are stuck to it, and it is stuck to you.  It is a part of you.  You can no longer think or act on your own, you can only move or think in accordance with that thing to which you are bound.

When one is enslaved by an alcohol addiction, for example, everything that they do or think is controlled by that alcohol addiction.  The same goes for any other type of addiction.   If the addiction is not appeased then the person is uncomfortable and miserable.

Notice what Jesus said in John 8:34 “Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.’”  Paul said in Romans 6:22 “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”  You cannot be set free from something unless you were first bound by it.

Friends, the world is full of sin, and the pleasures of this world will only drag you down into slavery.  There is no freedom that comes from pursuing the world and its pleasures.  I know it is cliché, but it is still true.  The only true freedom comes from serving Jesus Christ.  He alone has the words of life and salvation.  So, if you find yourself chasing after the things of this world repent and turn to God and find true freedom TODAY.