Sin can be defined as an immoral act that violates or transgresses the divine law of God. It can also be described as disobedience against God’s commandments. Sin found its place in man through Adam and Eve, and by their disobedience, sin became man’s obstacle to God’s righteousness.
To understand how sin enslaves its victims, one must understand the nature of sin itself. Consider a teenager who is introduced into drugs, initially, the drug will only be for pleasurable reasons, and only used occasionally. Gradually, the reason for drug use evolves from ‘pleasurable reasons’ to physical and psychological need, hence the birth of addiction.
Likewise, sin creates a craving in our lives for instant gratification, Like drugs, a sinful act initially provides a pleasurable feeling that keeps asking for more and more. Eventually, it grips its victim, taking control of the mind and the body and eventually enslaving him. At this stage, like a drug addict, man becomes bonded to sinfulness, that the desire to do good is completely absent.
Sin takes hold of its victims in three stages;
Conception – Sin creates a desire in its victim’s heart. This is the beginning of the process of temptations, and the package comes with promises of self-gratification, and a never ending pleasurable feeling.
Birth – Once the desire is established, the victim contemplates on the promises made, and due to the inherent weakness of the flesh, the victim is driven to commit the act.
Maturity – At this stage, the sin creates a craving for the pleasures previously enjoyed, causing the victim to seek a repeat of the same. It matures into bondage and enslaves its victim who, at this stage, is weak and incapable of saving himself.
To combat the prevalence of sin, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, according to Scriptures, and also attempted to wipe out an entire generation of man through the floods, but man was still bound by sin. To make man be aware of the extent of his sinfulness, He eventually gave out His law.
The purpose of the Law was to pinpoint sin, define it and bring it out of its hiding-place to show its exceeding sinful character. The law was never sent to save man from His sinfulness, and therefore man remained enslaved by it.
Fortunately, the death of Christ on the cross was enough to deliver man from the slavery of sin. Man has been empowered with knowledge of right and wrong, and has a choice to be obedient to sin, which brings death, or to be obedient to righteousness, which leads to life in eternity.
Although sin was defeated on the cross, its presence still creates a continuous struggle in a believer’s life. The tug of war between good and evil is due to the desire of the Spirit man to obey God and the natural man that disobeys Him. The good news is; the Gospel of grace is for everyone who believes in Him, and He is faithful enough to forgive and forget the sins in our lives. Better still, He knows and understands the weakness in our lives, yet He chose to love us and train us in righteousness for His Glory.