Read Romans 6:16-18; Psalm 119:32, 45; Galatians 5:1Have you ever felt like Christianity was just a bunch of rules? Over the past couple of years that I've worked with teenagers, I've heard this over and over again. Some people see our faith as just a bunch of regulations and duties. They don't want to be "tied down" to God's scriptural commands...they claim that they want freedom instead. What they don't realize however, is that what they think is freedom is actually slavery. The only freedom comes from following God's commands. Does this seem contradictory to you? How could doing whatever you want actually be slavery? Isn't this the definition of freedom?
Romans 6:16-18 explains that we are slaves to whatever has mastery over us. Before salvation, when people are following their own sinful natures, they are under the bondage of slavery. They don't have the power to break free from sin and be transformed, because that victory only comes from Christ. They are stuck in the same old sins, and without Christ, they have no hope of breaking that pattern. All sins have consequences that take a toll on the person engaging in them, and the sinful life is an empty one. Galatians 5:1 calls slavery a burden and a yoke. A yoke is a wooden bar tying 2 animals together to force them into labor. It's oppressive servitude that one can't break free from. Does the sinful lifestyle seem so appealing now? Satan wants you to believe that following your own way is bringing you the freedom you deserve, but in reality, the opposite is occurring.
I have a weird fascination with Tyra Banks' talk show. I'm usually not at home when it's on, so I only catch it occasionally, but when I do, I always find it interesting. What interests me is that Tyra has made it her mission to reach out to teenage girls, and this is obviously my passion as well. Week after week, Tyra brings young girls on the show with different sorts of problems...pregnancy, prostitution, broken relationships, depression, eating disorders, you name it... She follows the same pattern when talking to each girl. She asks questions and then allows the girls to talk about why they have fallen into this struggle, usually calling in concerned friends and family members to testify to the extent of the girl's problem. At the end of the segment, she always tells the girl that what she is doing is wrong and that she needs to stop doing it. The girl usually nods her head and cries, admitting that she wants to stop what she's doing and change. The show then raps up with some music and a concerned look from Tyra. Very touching. The problem with all of this is that Tyra tells these girls to stop sinning, but she doesn't tell them how to stop sinning. Nonbelievers can't just clean up their act on their own, because they are fallen creatures who are enslaved to sin. Without hearing about the forgiveness and freedom from sin that is offered through Jesus, they simply can't stop their sin pattern. This has made me want to scream at the TV more than once. Those girls may hate the way they're living, but they can't break free from it by their own strength.
Only Jesus Christ can free people from sin's bondage. When we turn to Christ and let Him be our master, we are no longer under sin's yoke. By following Him, we have stopped being slaves to sin and are now slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:17). Does this still seem like bondage to you? Listen to the psalmist in Psalm 119 (one of my all-time favorite passages in Scripture). As he raves about how much he adores God's law, he says things like, "I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free," and "I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts" (Ps. 119:32, 45). The writer describes following God's law as freedom. He delights in God's law and loves it!
If you are not a believer and find yourself burdened by the yoke of sin, turn to Christ. He has the power to wash you white as snow and to transform you into a new creation. If you are a believer, I'd like to challenge you with Galatians 5:1, which says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." If you have been set free from sin, why return to that bondage? If there is a particular sin that you are continually struggling with, you don't have to remain in bondage to it. Ask God for forgiveness and ask Him to give you the power to resist that temptation (1 Cor. 10:13). Pray that God will give you victory over that sin and enable you to walk in freedom with Him today!
