Slavery To Sin

The allure of sin is not an objective force or constant that imposes itself on every human, but a subjective experience that differs from person to person.  As such, there is no sin that every person inevitably struggles with at some point, and there is nothing about struggles with sin that must persist across entire lifetimes.  This should be a relief to every Christian: slavery to sin is not an inescapable, inflexible fact of human life.

The word "slavery" almost always seems to be used with a negative connotation in the present day, and slavery to sin is an inherently negative state of being.  There is nothing positive about slavery to wickedness.  That redemption, which could not exist apart from sin, is a thoroughly positive thing does not in any way sanctify sin itself.  Some Christians have such a distorted appreciation of salvation that they almost prefer the presence of sin to its absence, as long as redemption follows.

While this is a completely unbiblical and irrational approach to ethics (if something is immoral, it should never be celebrated no matter what good it may lead to), redemption is a thing worth celebrating.  However, none of this detracts from the fact that sin is not something that cannot be resisted before or after salvation--no one has to be a servant to sin.  In order to truly turn away from slavery to sin, of course, one must embrace a new kind of slavery.

That is it admirable to be free from slavery to sin does not mean one should not be a slave to anything.  It is one thing to be a slave to evil impulses and actions, but it is another thing entirely to be a slave to rationality and righteousness.  Slavery to reason, God, and morality cannot be negative.  Freedom from absolutely everything is an impossibility that would lead only to empty aimlessness even if it was an actuality.

This form of slavery is an inescapable component of pursuing truth.  To be a slave to reason and morality is to be free in the highest sense: one has chosen to live in accordance with truth and righteousness, free of the shackles of assumptions, fallacies, and sin.  Ironically, this form of slavery is the truest liberty.  No one can self-actualize in the fullest sense without devoting themselves fully to the intellectual, spiritual, and moral dimensions of human nature.