In our culture today, we don’t fully understand the wages of sin. We constantly view sin as more of an anchor that keeps us from having a prosperous life here on earth. When we have no sense of urgency we are consumed with sin and are not separate at all from the world. There are a few verses that explain this point. I’m going to quote the whole paragraph of this verse, so you can gain more context.
Romans 6:20-23 (NASB)
“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
When we read this part of scripture we tend to be given the last sentence of this passage, “For the wages of sin is death,” and so forth. What I want to focus on is the first few sentences. We find freedom in righteousness. We don’t benefit in the long run from sin. We do in the short term with a temporary satisfaction but eventually we feel empty and lost. There is nothing substantive about sin. Nothing that we can hold up and value it. You can’t say I value sin even though you get a quick satisfaction from it. When you are not slave to sin, you get eternal life. Which is a greater value then anything this world can offer.
Proverbs 10: 27-28 (NASB)
“The fear of the Lord prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes.”
Hope you read this full chapter. It gives contrast to the wicked and righteous. Sin is destructive. It destroys yourself far more then you realize. If you read the full chapter you get the context of what constitutes wickedness. We need to be constantly coming to God humbly asking for his forgiveness. Also we should constantly be making strides to stop continuing to sin. As quoted above, “…what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed?” So continuing is sin is illogical.
When we talk about sin we are found constantly using the wrong metaphor. We say sin is like an anchor. What is the purpose of an anchor? The definition of an anchor is, “a heavy object attached to a rope or chain and used to moor a vessel to the sea bottom, typically one having a metal shank with a ring at one end for the rope and a pair of curved and/or barbed flukes at the other.” To moor a boat, you are essentially securing it, so it can’t go anywhere. If sin is an anchor it is postponing your life from going forward or getting better. Also, it can be used to say that your relationship with God wouldn’t get better.
Sin isn’t an anchor. Sin is a noose attached to the anchor that is attached to you while you go overboard. You don’t stay stagnate. You go deeper and deeper into hell until you can’t breathe anymore. This is a graphic metaphor but makes the point I’m trying to make clear. There is a sense of urgency to get out of that stranglehold as soon as possible before it is too late. You need to free yourself from the bonds of sin that the rope represents. I’ll end with these verses.
John 8:34-36 (NASB)
“Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.’”
I like the metaphor you used on sin. It is definitely a noose, and the anchor is the cost or penalty of the sin. I think what believers often forget, is once you commit your life to Christ, you no longer are a “slave” to sin. You are then given the choice to own your temptation and demand it flee from you. Does this mean you will no longer sin? Of course not, but what it does mean is that you are no longer in bondage to it. We are free, and it only requires a little humility. Fall on your face, confess your sin to the one who is already aware, and request forgiveness, then freely receive the matchless grace and love of Jesus Christ.
Yes definitely agree. When we walk with Christ humility is very important. As we do we should feel an urgency when it comes to sin explained in the noose part of the metaphor. As Christians we are suppose to lead our culture to conform to Christ’s example. Without urgency it becomes very easy for the world to change us. Definitely agree with what you said. Thanks for the comment. One thing I like to add. That with his grace their is a responsibility and command to turn away from that sin. As another thing to be urgent about. Making no strides in that direction you can easily be weighed down.
Great insights Jeff. You’ve obviously done your research. Keep it up!