In our post modern society more often than not, people account their misfortunes or their hurt felt lives to their environmental surroundings, sickness and anything else that will remove the blame from their own sinful nature. The husband, who is dissatisfied, blames the critical wife, the student with bad grades blames their terrible teachers, the depressed woman blames her childhood and people continue to blame everyone except the sin that entangles our thoughts and ways when we walk away from obedience to God. The fact is, sin gives birth to enslavement, self-centeredness and leaves people with an inability to love among many other things.

Sin often times becomes an enslavement of bondage. “Sin becomes a habit or even an addiction.”[1] When we walk in sin, such as lying, harming our bodies and walk in direct opposition to God’s desires, we bring on anxiety, pain and broken relationship with God. All sin leads to bondage, pre-marital sex produces fear and anxiety in a relationship because it is outside of God’s desire, uncontrolled anger produces violence when God desires self-control, and drinking robs us of a sober mind, just to name a few. While in my college days many encouragers gave me some good advice and it is that, “Sin takes you farther than you are willing to go, keeps you longer than you are willing to stay and has a price higher than you are willing to pay” (author unknown).

Sin will always have a self-centered view of life. For example, in the story of Cain and Abel in the account of Genesis, it is pointed out that Cain’s face was downcast. Normally when someone has a downcast face something in their life is not going well, in our society we would call the person depressed. However, God gave Cain a choice that if he would do what is right, then his countenance would be lifted. However, Cain wanted to serve his sinful desires and he killed Abel due to his own jealousy. “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing” (James 3:16).

Sin also leaves people with an inability to love according to God’s desire. Most people have a skewed view of love, however God gives us a clear picture in the book of 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient, kind, not jealous, not bragging, not arrogant, not self seeking, does not rejoice in wrong, is not provoked, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Sin will not produce these things in the life of a person, instead it will produce just the opposite. “The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, to turn aside from the snares of death. Good understanding produces favor, but the way of the sinner is hard” (Proverbs 13:14-15).

In the end, sin will always lead to bondage, self centeredness and an inability to love. “The problem with this answer is not that people find it unclear but that they find it unpalatable.”[2] The healing in life will come through calling out to God in repentance and learning to walk in his ways. Marriages will be healed when wanting my way turns into wanting it God’s way, depression will be healed when the Word of God is actually applied and lived out, and lives will experience peace when we realize who we are and who God is.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Deanna

[1] Erikson, Millard J., Christian Theology, Baker Academics, Grand Rapids, MI, 1998, pg. 632.

[2] Colson, Charles, How Now Shall We Live, Wheaton, Illinois, Tyndale House, 1999, p.148.