Slaves of corruption

While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. – 2 Peter 2.19

When we read about the false teachers in the previous verses it is obvious that these are the bad guys that we need to be on the lookout for. It is clear that their sins are sins that are prevalent today and are the things that we need to avoid. 

It is sometimes easy for us to look at the world and all that they ‘get to do’ that we don’t get to do that we can get to thinking that they have ‘all the fun’ or all the freedom to do whatever they want and don’t have that same liberty. 

So the false teachers can promise us the liberty to do whatever our flesh desires. Why be encumbered by holiness and purity and righteous living and serving others and putting them first and self-sacrifice? Why not just throw all that off and ‘eat, drink, and be merry.’ 

Because the lost arenot free. They are captive to their corruption and we are free from that bondage. Sinners sin because they are captive to sin. We expect far too much out of world when we expect them to conform the word of God. The world is going to act like the world. We can’t make them perform to our standards because they are still captive to corruption. Sinners sin because sin is their master. 

The verse ends with the reminder that people are slaves to whatever overcomes us. 

But sin has no power over us, so what does it mean when we do sin? 

It means that we resubmit to our old master. We walk right back in to sin’s grip. It means that we choose to obey a master who has no power and ignore the Master who has all power. 

The world sins because they are slaves to corruption. 

What’s our excuse?