I. Introduction

Two hundred and forty years ago, our nation was in bondage. Made up of 13 colonies of the British Empire, the colonies were governed by rules from far across the sea. Twelve years prior to that, the British and the French were in a great race to colonize the Americas, leading to a great amount of tension. In 1754, the British, under the command of 22-year old George Washington, ambushed a French patrol and set off a war against the French. There were about 2 million British colonists and only 60,000 French colonists, so the French enlisted the help of the native American Indians. This French and Indian War lasted 9 years before the British finally defeated the French, and the French ceded control of all of land east of the Mississippi River to the British.

This was an expensive war, and the British felt the American colonies should pay the brunt of the expenses. The British levied higher taxes against the 13 colonies to pay off the war debt, and also imposed other rules that were very inconvenient, such as if the British felt the need to guard your town, you were required to house British troops in your home at your own expense.

The colonies had no say in these taxes. But of particular irritation was the monopoly given to the East Indian Tea Company. No tea could be imported to the colonies directly; instead, The British imported tea to Britain, marked it up 25% to pay for war debts, then sold it to the Americas. In 1773, the Sons of Liberty raided a shipment of tea and threw it all into the Boston Harbor with the rallying cry of “No taxation without representation.”

Three years later, in 1776, the Thirteen American colonies declared their independence from Britain.

II. Independence

What does it mean to be independent? The dictionary defines independence as “freedom from the control, influence, support, or aid of others.” When the young American Colonies rebelled against the British, they wanted representation, they wanted a say in their own fate. They wanted to govern themselves. Others were not going to dictate their day-to-day lives; the colonists were going to choose their own way.

From a historical perspective of developing countries, this was unique. It had never been tried. No country had ever attempted self-governing rules. No country had ever tried a system where the governed were also the governors.

But in the history of mankind, this attitude is hardly unique. The ultimate authority is the God who created us, and we (the creation) have always wanted to govern ourselves.

It seems like every time I teach a lesson, I go back to Genesis 1:1 again. But today, in a fantastic improvement over that record, we’re only going back to Genesis 2. Verses 16 & 17,

And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

And man joyfully obeyed and enjoyed a sinless and holy relationship with God the Father. And that lasted maybe a day. After that, we decided we wanted to govern ourselves, and we ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We said to God, “You are not the boss of me.”

III. Bondage

When we ate, we rebelled. We looked to our rebellion and said, “See? We are free to do what we want. We don’t allow anyone – including God – to tell us what to do.” We believed that this rebellion was the same as independence which was also the same as freedom.

But these three words are not the same. Yes, we rebelled and declared our independence from God. But were we then free? What did we gain by rebelling from God?

In our rebellion, we decided to go our own way. In our rebellion, we decided on our own not to follow God’s plan. Since God is holy, and God’s plan is holy, our rebellion is… unholy. It is a sin. Our sin separates us from God. In the Old Testament, Isaiah laments this rebellion in Isaiah 63:10 –

Yet they rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit.
So he turned and became their enemy
and he himself fought against them.

In other words, our sin nature, passed along from the first rebellion of Adam all the way to us, vexes the Holy Spirit and makes us enemies of God. We saw this rejection of God in 1 Samuel 8:6-9 when the people of Israel – people supposedly free since they had rejected God – demanded somebody to rule over them. It seems they recognized they needed somebody to lead and guide them, but they just didn’t want that somebody to be God –

But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

In 1 Samuel 15:23, our rebellion is described like this –

For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.

Our rebellion against the Lord doesn’t lead to freedom. Our rebellion makes us enemies of the Lord. Rebellion aligns us with forces that oppose God. As enemies of the Lord, we become family with a relative we don’t really want, but we share a common goal with him. John 8:44, Jesus tells us who we are when we are in a state of rebellion –

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Yuck. I don’t like this family. So my rebellion against the Lord didn’t lead to freedom, it led to sin. To oppose God’s plan, I have to align myself with the devil, and I am in bondage to this sin because I am rebellion. I cannot escape sin because I am in rebellion which is sin. Instead of freedom, I am in bondage. I am in bondage to sin. In John 8:34,

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

And in Romans 7:14-15, Paul recognizes this bondage –

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

We all sin. We are in bondage to that sin. We’re going to look at 2 verses that describe just how awful the rebellious bondage to sin looks to our Lord. First, let’s look at 2 Timothy 3:1-7 –

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

In that description, I see my own bondage to sin, and I see that our great United States of America has rushed from independence into bondage to sin. From “loving ourselves” on social media like Facebook and Instagram and Twitter, to “loving money” and our fascination with pop culture and the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Allowing men to use women’s restrooms if they “identify” as a woman and then brutally verbally bashing those who are trying to promote a chaste and safe public restroom experience. Over a half-million abortions every year because having a baby is inconvenient. In my lifetime I’ve seen this nation go from prayer in schools to prosecuting people who pray in schools.

And our national fascination with sex. How much of the internet is related to porn? A study from Columbia University estimates Psychology today estimates as much as 20% of all web traffic and web searches are related to porn.

Our nation is in bondage to sin, and we celebrate it and put it on the internet for everybody to see.

Romans 6:16 also points out that ultimately we only have 2 choices –

Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Our rebellious sin nature is a trap. We are stuck in our sin nature and we cannot free ourselves. Romans 1:24 says that God eventually gives us over to the sinful desires of the heart. There is no middle ground. There is no “mostly obedient” state. Giving to the Red Cross or the Salvation Army or the Star of Hope or tithing to the church cannot save us if there is one little speckle of disobedience in us. And this verse tells us that we are either trying our very best to find God’s will in our lives, or we are not.

We’d like to believe there is a middle ground, where we can be good people and go to heaven. We’d like to have compassion on good people that aren’t Christians. Surely good people go to heaven? Isn’t that fair? Isn’t that nice? Since God is such a nice guy, surely He’d see it my way?
But that misunderstands God’s purpose in our lives. God loves all His children, and He wants what is best for us. And that means voluntarily giving up our own independent rebellion and agree with the Lord that His will is the best way, and ultimately is the only way. And God tells us that there is one way to gain the promised land, and everything else belongs to sin. Galatians 3:22,

But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

IV. True Freedom

So our rebellion gives us the illusion of independence, but in reality we are trading our allegiance. I pledge allegiance to God and His ways, or I pledge allegiance to our father the devil. There is no third option.

So here’s an interesting quandary. Can we be in bondage, and yet be free?

In the story of the Exodus, we start to get a glimpse of God’s purpose. What was the exodus? It’s the miracle of God leading His people out of bondage, out of slavery. And once the people were free, what did God do? He gave them the Ten Commandments. He set rules for that freedom.

We make a mistake when we confuse our independence with what we truly desire. We desire freedom. Freedom to follow our God-given passions and desires, to seek for God in all the wonderful places He designs for us, to seek His will and find that His plan for us is far, far better than our own independent plans.

Why should we trust this freedom to God? How many hairs do you have on your head? Is it 1000? 100,000? I have no idea. But this is how well God knows me: Not only does He know how many hairs are on my head, but he’s numbered them. 1, 2, 3, 4…. Luke 12:6-7,

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

A very good reason for trusting the Lord is that He knows me far better than I know myself. Should I continue to maintain my independence of God? I certainly have that choice; I can choose to be independent of my creator. But it turns out that is the same as the sin of rebellion, which means independence from God is bondage to the devil. Or I can be independent of Satan, and choose to be in bondage to God. I am in bondage either way.

What does this look like, being in bondage to God? Do I just follow the Ten Commandments? Do I just avoid the Seven Deadly Sins? Do I follow all 613 mitzvots?

Let’s go back for a moment to 2 Timothy 3:1-7 and look at what bondage to sin looks like.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

These things that bind us to sin are lovers of ourselves, lovers of money, proud and boastful and abusive and disobedient and ungrateful and unforgiving… and if I am honest with myself, I can see my own sinful nature in this description. These are the descriptions of the last days. It’s what the Father of Lies would call love. It’s a perversion of what God calls love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 –

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I don’t know how to do this. Not on my own. At least, not at the level necessary to meet the standards of a Holy and Perfect Lord of All. I’m going to fail.

So the answer to whether I have to follow the Ten Commandments or avoid the Seven Deadly Sins is… yes. All of them. And none of them.

You see, since God knows how many hairs I have on my head, He knows me better than I know myself. And even when I try to run, He knows me. Jeremiah 23:24,

Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord.

God is everywhere I am. I cannot hide. Even in my rebellion and my so-called independence, I cannot escape. The Ten Commandments and the Seven Deadly Sins judge me and my shortcomings. They show me how I fail, they show that despite my own efforts, I’m going to fail at being holy. And that’s ok, because God loves me and has given me a solution. God has given me His Son.

We don’t just “stop sinning” by trying to stop committing the Seven Deadly Sins. Obeying the Ten Commandments doesn’t stop us from sinning. That is is “legalism,” that is trying to save ourselves by “works.” We stop sinning by recognizing that we are in rebellion, that our entire lives have been devoted to bondage in sin, remembering that there is no halfway decision, and then choosing to be bondservants of Christ. We choose to cease our rebellion against the Lord.

What about the Ten Commandments? The Seven Deadly Sins? These give us insight and direction as to what pleases the Lord. For those who have had children, if your child takes a cookie before dinner after you expressly told him not to, do you say, that’s it, I’m done. You’re on your own. Go outside and never come back. From God’s perspective, is our identity as His child dependent on whether we ate the forbidden cookie?

Of course not. We set rules for good behavior for our children. We discipline them when they are disobedient. We raise them, we forgive them, and love them. God does the same for us, and all our sins are forgiven when Jesus took them to the cross. We just have to choose to be in God’s family. Then if we are imperfect, if we only follow eight-and-a-half commandments, our Father still loves us.

In fact, that’s where our freedom comes from – being within the will of God, being a slave to His love, and recognizing His word protects us. Psalm 119:44-45 puts in this way –

I will keep on obeying your instructions forever and ever. I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.

So our goal then, is to recognize our rebellion against God did not lead to freedom. It just led to a different sort of bondage. This is where we once were, from 2 Peter 2:17-19 –

These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity – for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”

When we accept Jesus, then this is who we become from 1 John 1:12 –

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.

And when we are children of God, then there is no condemnation for falling short of God’s perfect will. Romans 8:1,

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

V. Conclusion

When mistake rebellion and independence with freedom, we wallow in a lifetime of sin. The rebellion against God results in death and misery and frustration. Or we can attempt to save ourselves by doing good, but the rules we set for ourselves are burdensome and joyless. Worse, we try to set rules for others so we can demonstrate how superior we are.

God’s way is to accept that we are powerless on our own and full of sin, but His Son will take the punishment for our rebellion so we can be slaves to righteousness and serve one another in love. It’s not rules imposed from the outside, but the power of the Holy Spirit from the inside that brings glory to God, peace and joy to us, and blessings to others.

There is a song by Watermark that I love, called “Captivate Us.” During the chorus, she sings, “Let every chain be broken from me as I’m bound by your grace.” Choosing to be a bondservant of Christ Jesus doesn’t restrict our freedom, but gives us freedom to be who God created us to be.

It’s like a train, a locomotive, intent on going its own way. And it jumps the track in search of independence. These train tracks are too restrictive, the train says. And when the train has fallen off the tracks, it’s powerless, it’s useless, it’s stalled. When the train is put back on the track, then the train is free to do what it was created to do.

This is the truth that brings glory to our Father in Heaven. John 8:32,

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

That is true freedom.

To God be the glory.