Verse from John

“耶稣说：“我实实在在告诉你们，凡犯罪的都是罪的奴隶。”

(约翰福音 8:34)

“Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.”

(John 8:34)

There’s an underground lava tube south of Kuna, Idaho, that has gained a certain amount of local notoriety. The only entrance for now, is a yawning shaft that plunges straight down into darkness. By standing on the edge and looking down, u can feel u are being drawn closer to it but one step forward and you will plunge  all the way down. 

Sin is like that: Curiosity can draw us toward the darkness. How often have men and women gotten too close to the edge, lost their balance, and fallen into the darkness? They’ve destroyed their families, reputations, and careers through adulterous affairs that began with a “mere” flirtation but then progressed to thoughts and actions. Looking back they almost always say, “I never thought it would come to this.”

We think we can flirt with temptation, get very close to the edge, and walk away, but that’s a fool’s dream. We know an action is wrong and yet we toy with it. Then, inescapably, we are drawn into deeper and darker perversions. Jesus put it simply: “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34).

And so, seeing our own need for God’s help, we pray as David did in Psalm 19:13, “Keep back Your servant also from [deliberate] sins; let them not have dominion over me.”

Heavenly Father, 

whether we are being tempted now, or have fallen, 

we thank You that You are always there, and You love us with relentless love. 

We have nowhere to turn but to You.

A big fall begins with a little stumble.