“Most men will grow up to love their servitude, and will never dream of rebellion.” – Huxley
This amazing quote from A Brave New World stunned me the moment I heard it. My intial reaction was, nobody would be that stupid. Who would ever grow-up loving their servitude?
Me. And maybe you.
So, how is that true in my life and might be in yours as well? For sure that statement is true for all non-believers who have been exposed to the gospel and have rejected it. They are too in love with their life, their sins, their friends, worldviews and their dreams, to ever dream of rebelling against all that and embracing and following Jesus. Some of you know that to be true, because there was a time in your life that the thought of leaving the familiar and the comfortable life you lived in your sin, terrified you. But the Holy Spirit tempted you with rebellion and you fled your servitude to sin and inhaled the sweet air of salvation and freedom in Christ.
But now?
Most of us, who’ve supposedly fled our servitude to sin, still remain slaves to our “pet sins.” I wrote about them in The 10 Second Rule.
I have a theory as to why we’re so unintentional about dealing with habitual sins. Really, it’s not that hard to figure out: Secretly, we don’t want to give up our pet sins. You know–the sins or bad habits we’re not sure we can live without, or believe we could ever really be happy again if we did. Our pet sins give us a temporary release from the realities and stresses of life. They comfort us. And we know full well that if we devise a real plan to deal with them, it means we’re committing ourselves to have a serious go at it, or risk even greater feelings of guilt. So we often chose to put up with this dog that bites, rather than shoot our companion.
But here’s the problem with compromise–it’s contagious. Because I think I’m getting away with certain sins, I find I’m tempted even more in other areas. Perhaps you’ve had the same experience. Unless I’m intentional about personal holiness, it’s amazing how quickly my pet sins give birth to others–especially those I once swore would never again get the better of me.
But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:14-15
The dog needs to die–and today, not tomorrow after just one last time in your lap.
So what pet sin is keeping you in servitude, against which the Holy Spirit is begging you to rebel? Pornography, jealousy of another person’s success, an addiction to social media that leaves too little time for serving others? Perhaps it’s your deep resentment over your ex, or an emotionally cold or abusive parent. You and I do not have to be slaves to these sins any longer. But if you don’t rebel against them, you remain a slave to them.
“You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” Romans 6:18
How following Jesus works in real life.
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