Subjugation of Sin

To people who value their personal freedoms, the rise of a totalitarian government that oppresses and subjugates citizens is a genuine concern.  More movies than I can count present a societal hellscape with enough connection to reality to be chilling and frightful viewing that illustrate the dangers of unchecked power.  Whether it is annihilation of humanity through time-travelling cyborgs fueled by artificial intelligence ideology, government overreach by power-hungry people employing surveillance or harsh punishments or the use of unwitting human bodies to produce energy, the common threat is the subjugation of the human will--with any concept of God being strangely absent.

In many of these these science fiction and dystopian scenarios, the citizens are a blend of personalities:  those who have been conditioned to submit, those blinded and deceived to imagine the government acts for their best interest, some who will betray their fellow citizens for personal benefits, others who comply out of fear, people who are broken and hopeless shells because of suppression and punishment, and those who suddenly have their eyes open to injustice, decide to rebel and fight against it.  Often it comes down to the brave efforts of a small group of people who join together and risk their lives against incredible odds to be free.  This is usually the major conflict of the show or film to be resolved.  What is not detailed is what happens after the oppressive regime is overthrown and what sort of leaders those freedom fighters end up being--if they lead at all.  To think the brutality required to overthrow oppression will not lead to new oppression is likely wishful thinking.

Did you know every human being born into this world is systemically oppressed?  It goes far deeper than politics, government, economy and society:  it is oppression of a spiritual and personal nature.  The Bible teaches that every person is born a slave to sin that has corrupted them to the core and blinded them to the truth of God who created all things.  Spiritually speaking, people who live and walk and talk are dead in this world under Satan's sway.  They do not realise sin is actually a yoke of oppression that drags them body and soul to hell.  The sin a person drinks like water and revels in is more soul-destroying than the most totalitarian government.  To someone deceived by sin, the embrace of sin is freeing and provides the greatest amount of pleasure and human satisfaction possible, yet in reality its grip only tightens to suffocate and destroy forever.  Trying to rebel against the lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eyes and the pride of life by the power of the flesh is always futile.

Contrary to Hollywood blockbusters, the only way to overcome the sinister, totalitarian oppression of sin over our entire being is not by man's will, savvy or power but by faith in Jesus Christ.  The Law of God reveals our sinful condition in truth and leads us by the hand to Jesus as the Light of the World, the Messiah we need to save us.  The only way of salvation and deliverance from this body of death we live in is by faith in Jesus who died on the cross, rose from the dead, and has sat down enthroned in eternal glory.  For all who have been born again by the power of the Gospel we ought to rebel against the lusts of the flesh, pride, selfishness and every wicked way.  Because Jesus has provided atonement by His death on Calvary, we can put to death the sins of the flesh:  on sin we ought to show no mercy.  At the same time we ought to extend grace to others realising even people who are willing pawns in a totalitarian government are not the enemy and never will be.  Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers and Satan whom must all bow before Jesus Christ (Eph. 6).

Churches all over the world are places these rebels against sin gather in Christ name, however we are not called to rebellion:  we are called to unity and agreement with Jesus Christ and one another in love.  Our identity is not found in the evils we war against, the cesspools of sin Jesus has delivered us from, but as humble children of God who love Him and one another.  When we sin, we repent and strive to do what is good instead.  Rather than being loyal to a cause we are committed and loyal to Christ, even as a betrothed wife remains chaste for her husband.  Many causes may beckon us, and sin can rise up within our flesh with the aim to seduce our souls to join in an elicit embrace.  We look upon these with disdain because our eyes have been opened by Jesus who loves us.  We fix our eyes on Him, laying aside sin and every weight that holds us back from obedience.  By His grace we can run with endurance the race set before us, free from sin and fear and free to serve, minister and work for our LORD in whom we trust and rest.

Jesus said in John 8:33-36:  "...Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."  Man's great fear is to have his autonomy taken away, yet when we are in sin we cannot be free.  It is in submitting and surrendering to Jesus in faith we are freed from slavery to sin and adopted as children of God forever.  How wonderful it is to have the bonds of sin stripped away and to be embraced in the love of God, set free by His grace.  This isn't science fiction or some doomsday conspiracy but a joyous reality every Christian can know and rejoice in today.