The Great Escape

“Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.” (Joh 8:34-35 AV)

The servant here is the servant of sin.  The house is the earthly tabernacle that is tempted with sin.  The hope of every child of God is victory over sin!  The hope stated above is that which every true child of God yearns for.  It is evidence of salvation.  It is proof of a heart after God’s own heart.  That which is missing in our message of salvation today is conviction of sin unto the saving of the soul.  Unless a soul comes under the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, there is no salvation.  He or she must see the condition of the soul as utter wickedness, condemned by the holiness and justice of God.  The soul must see they deserve the eternal flames of hell before any cry for mercy can come forth.  If the soul cannot see their own wickedness, there is no sense of accountability.  If there is no accountability, there is no justice.  If there is no justice, salvation is from consequences and not a condition.  This is not salvation.  True salvation sees the vile creature that is self.  It rejects self.  It turns its back on self.  This is repentance.  The soul cries out because it is condemned, realizing self has done this, and desires a change from what the soul is into that which God can make it.  If that is what we experienced, then the hope of the above passage rings loudly!

There are times we feel we are the servant of sin.  There are times when we would give our right arm to overcome some stubborn sin in our hearts.  There are times we would pay any price whatsoever to overcome the sin that doth so easily beset us.  There are times when the presumptuous sin drives us to deep pits of despair.  There are times we can barely function because it seems the flesh is more powerful than the spirit.  We battle in our own strength.  We battle in the Spirit’s power.  Yet, sin lieth at the door.  We get confused because we know the LORD is not pleased, yet it seems He is not doing enough to help us over come.  As Paul says, I speak as a man.  We weep.  We confess.  We beg.  We toil.  But sin is still there.  As long as we are in this flesh, we fight on!  One transgression at a time.  We tire out.  We become weary.  If the flesh would only cooperate, imagine what we could do for the glory of God!  This is the heart of the matter.  This is the reason for the promise above!

Jesus is both condemning and encouraging here.  We often read it as a rebuke.  We often take it as a statement of hard truth.  We are the servant of sin because we yield to it.  But we cannot stop there.  The hard truth is followed by a liberating promise.  We don’t have to stay servants of sin!  If we call out to Jesus as our Savior, He takes up residence in our hearts.  Sin will only last a life time.  But Jesus lasts an eternity!  That is the precious hope we have to continue in the battle over sin.  We have already won!  Things will change.  So, let us strive as though we see the finish line before us.  No matter where we are in our race towards glory, we are always closer to the finish line that we are the beginning.  Glory awaits!  Christ is going nowhere.  The servant will not always abide in this house of clay prone to sin.  This earthly house will be destroyed.  There awaits a house of glory that can never disappoint God.  The Son will always abide!