BOUND BY SIN
Hebrews 12:1-2
"lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race set before us."
At first glance the buck seemed healthy, as he lay in the brush along the bottom of the ridge in eastern Iowa. As the hunters approach he got up from his bed. Still he looked normal, but as he started to move the hunters took in a sad scene. The buck had become entangled in a length of woven wire. Sometime in the last few weeks this young buck had stopped to rub his antlers on a fencepost somewhere and became entangled. Then sometime since, in the struggle, he had broken a back leg.
It was clear that, even though this buck wasn't what they were after, they needed to do their best to put him out of his misery. This entanglement of fence, combined with a broken back leg, was going to take his life and the humane thing was to take care of it, before nature did. When the hunters got close enough for the shot one drew his bow and released. The buck jumped at the sound of the bow and the arrow hit low in the chest, not a fatal shot.
After several hours of tracking the buck in the dark, the hunters came upon him, after going straight up a very long and steep hill. He was no longer able to go further. Dragging the wire, that was entangling him on every snag had finally taken its toll and he took his last breath in front of the hunters.
It's a sad story, no doubt, but so many of us live out this same story. We stop along life's path and get entangled in a sinful situation... then we drag that sin with us for a time. Unlike the buck, we could cut the wire of sin lose, yet we choose to drag it with us. Unfortunately, some even carry it until it takes them to death.
Many of the things in life that used to be easy to do, become very difficult and painful as we drag the wire of sin with us. Sin always takes its toll! Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us to "lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race set before us." You and I cannot climb to new heights for God while dragging a load of sin.
People were not created to go through life dragging a load of sin, guilt and shame any more than this deer was created to drag a load of wire fence with him.
Both Christians and non-Christians alike get entangled in the sins of this world. Its drags us down and restricts us and makes it so we don't become all that we can be. God gives us an opportunity to be cut free from this extra weight and snare that is dragging us down. He sent His own Son so that we can be set free from these sins. If we haven't accepted this freedom, we need to do that to cut the wire of sin loose. Roman's 3:23 makes it clear that all of us have had a mess of sin/wire dragging us down "23 for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." If we've already accepted that gift we need to confess these sins and turn away from them and turn back to God. 1 John 1:9 explains that we can get away from all that is dragging us back. "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
What wire of bad choices is holding you back, dragging you deeper into sin? Allow God to cut the entangled mess you're dragging along in life and set you free. He's paid the price for your freedom.
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