Daily Verse: John 8:34-36

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

No one truly wants to be a slave to anyone or anything. For when someone is a slave, they don’t have the control, they are not the one calling the shots, and they must adhere to the wishes of the “master”. And the “master” is usually unfriendly to the slave, choosing what pleases the master well above what is good, or even acceptable, for the slave. Sin is no exception when it comes to unruly, miserable masters. Sin creeps into our lives, convincing us that the sinful path is the “ideal” path…that sinful living is the best way to live…that sinful words and actions are funny, popular, and will get us ahead in this world. And before we know it, sin has taken over…overpowering our once stable mind and crippling our once solid bodies. We become slaves to the sin in our lives, unable to disagree, relocate, or disassociate with the “master” that is now directing our path. On our own, sin can be impossible to overcome…it gets a grip on our lives that is downright debilitating…no matter what we try, we can’t shake it. Thankfully, we do not have to wage war on sin alone…thankfully we can turn to Christ for the help that we need. Christ defeated sin and death once…and he defeats sin and death over and over each time we turn to him for strength. If we can’t shake an addiction, we can turn to Christ for the wisdom, confidence, and fortitude to kick the addiction out of our lives. If we struggle with rage and hatred, we can turn to Christ to invite love, forgiveness, and kindness into our world. If we battle with slander and gossip, we can turn to Christ for the discipline and commitment to control the words that come from our mouths. No matter what sin has turned us into its slave, we can be set free through faith in Christ! But in the same way that we have chosen a path of sin, we must choose the path of righteousness…opening our lives to the “renovations” that God requires to release us from the grip of sin. May we turn to Christ today, casting aside our old lives of slavery, and embracing a new path of righteousness! To God be the glory!