For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness. – Proverbs 5:21-23 NLT
Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 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. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:12-23 NLT
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of 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. Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message. I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.” “Our father is Abraham!” they declared. “No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. No, you are imitating your real father.” They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.” Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” – John 8:34-47 NLT
“Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” – Genesis 4:6-7 NLT
And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord ’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. – Hebrews 12:5-13 NLT
The LORD sees clearly, it cannot be hidden from Him, even though many will deceive themselves about who it is they really serve, ignoring their own faces in the mirror and justifying their own foolishness by measuring and comparing one another instead of looking upon their one example – the one way, truth and life. We are to fall humbly surrendered in obedience — not out of heavy obligation, but out of uplifting gratitude — for the price already paid, for the victory already won.
Those evil men who are still held captive to sin, those still bound in the chains of their destination, those who will die for lack of self-control, those who are lost because of their own foolishness — they will not escape the promise of salvation, the hope of glory without pushing past our proclaiming Jesus Christ crucified, dead, buried, and risen to life. The worldly, carnal, rebellious and prodigal will not escape without hearing the watchmen cry out, pleading for repentance and a return to God and to holiness through the free gift of grace received by faith.
We are not to be weak against enemies that must flee when we resist evil, against weapons that cannot harm us. We are to be bold in standing firm against wickedness and the ways of the world that steal, kill, and destroy. And we are to stand firm and bold upon the firm foundation of Jesus Christ — who we follow, with cross firmly in hand, even as the world seeks to kill us and silence this uncomfortable, self examining, wholy surrender enducing, life changing, Good News.
Good News of freedom for the captives, healing for the blind and the lame, forgiveness for the wretched sinner, and a new, born again, sanctified life of holiness that can be seen lived out in power, love, and self control in the lives of those who truly believe and have chosen a different master. Good News to those who cry out “Abba Father” that don’t just know about Christ, but who are known and called by God with a purpose and a path made straight that once was crooked.
Strengthen yourself. Rise up. Walk. Even run. Even soar, Children of God! Go forth, and proclaim victory today and forever more!
Harold J. Ballinger 