Dedicated To The Men of God Who Preach the Word of God As It Is To Men As They Are

















"Preach The Word"

THE BONDAGE OF SIN

Exodus 1:12-14. But the more they afflicted them, the more they
multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the
children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel
to serve with rigor: and they made their lives bitter with
hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of
service in the field: all their service where in they made them
serve, was with rigor.

Introduction:
The undesirability of bondage and slavery
1. The Civil War concerned itself with the issue of
freedom and slavery.
2. The problem of integration of society in America
today centers on the problem of freedom and liberty.
3. Every age and people has known its despots and
dictators, Egypt its Pharaohs, Rome its Caesars, Europe its Hitler,
and Russia its leaders.
4. So Israel was in bondage in Egypt and is reminded
of that bondage to this day in the reading of the law. Exodus
20:2 and Deuteronomy 5:15.
5. Every individual everywhere is born a slave. Thus
we take on our theme: The Bondage of Sin.
I. The Fact of Bondage
II. The Pleasures of Bondage
III. The Bitterness of Bondage

I. THE FACT OF BONDAGE.

"And the Egyptians made the
children of Israel to serve with rigor."

A. Everyone is born into bondage.
1. Every Israelite during the 400 years of bondage was
born a slave. This was inevitable.
2. So it is true that everyone born into the world is
born a sinner. All men everywhere are affected by this malady.
Romans 3:10 and 23.
3. This represents the true solidarity of humanity. "As
in Adam all die . . . " (Romans 5:14) .
4. This presents the teaching of original sin. This was
once denied, but is accepted as truth by many today.
"Tis the faith that launched point-blank its dart
At the head of a lie; taught Original Sin,
The corruption of man's heart" (Browning)

B. Everyone's bondage is fatal.
1. From a purely human point of view, there was no
hope for Israel. They and their children had only the prospect
of living and dying as slaves.
2. The bondage which afflicts us today is the sickness
unto death. Read Romans 6:23.
3. In man himself there is no hope of release or forgiveness.
He cannot escape. Even death brings no release.
"To die, to sleep: To sleep: per-chance to dream:
Ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause:" (Hamlet III. 1).

C. Everyone's bondage is total.
1. The entire life of the Jew was under bondage. His
every hour-no time to call his own.
2. So we are totally under the influence of sin. Every
part of us, every family, every potentiality.
3. This, we call total depravity. Ego totius-I am wholly
a sinner.
D. The devil. Ephesians 6:12.
The world. John 15:19.
And our own flesh. Galatians 5:17.

II. THE PLEASURES OF BONDAGE.

"Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the
pleasure of sin for a season" (Hebrews 11:25) .

A. The natural does not understand the spiritual. I Corinthians
2:14.
1. The natural mind cannot comprehend anything beyond
the mundane and worldly. Spiritual things are "nonsense"
and "foolishness."
2. The human, natural man seeks satisfaction in things
earthly, sensual and devilish. James 3:15.

B. The "thrill" of the things of this world.
1. The children of Israel, although they cried out in
bondage, nevertheless even in liberty desired to return because of
the things of the world. Numbers 11:4-6.
2. The world has many allurements. The passions of
the body seek satisfaction. Men break into all manner of sin
because they love it.
3. The sensual appetites of men have sought satisfaction
since the beginning of time. Note Genesis 3:6 reflected in
I John 2:16.
4. We must never underestimate the allurements and
attractions of sin.

C. The temptations of the world.
1. The devil is a real person who seeks to lead astray.
Natural children are called his sons. John 8:44. Note also I Peter
5:8. Jesus was also tempted on this point. Matthew 4:8-10.
2. The world seeks to attract the individual. His nature
is "animal" and, therefore, temptation is directed to the
natural and basic.
3. We must "flee temptation" and "resist the devil" lest
we are overtaken and defeated.

III. THE BITTERNESS OF BONDAGE.

"All their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigor."

A. The ultimate result of sin.
1. The children of Israel began to cry to the Lord. All
the allurements of sin and of Egypt were forgotten. Exodus 3:37.
2. In the final analysis the allurements and attractions
of sin are false and vain. Quickly one begins to realize that sin
is destructive and deadly.
3. The Scripture reminds us that the wages of sin is
death. Note Genesis 2:17; 3:17; Romans 6.23; I John 2:17; Galatians
6:8. Sin brings about its own destruction.

B. The final despair of sin.
1. The final result of sin is death.
a. Spiritual death. Ephesians 2:1.
b. Physical death. Hebrews 9:27.
c. Eternal death. Revelation 20:1445.
2. The result of sin is utter hopelessness, complete despair
and absolute defeat! Is this, then, the end of life?
3. Modern thinking is reflected in the atheistic and
agnostic philosophies of Heidigger and Sartre.

C. The cry of despair.
1. The soul in despair cries to God. Exodus 3:7.
2. This we need for salvation. We need to know the
real fulness of our misery.
3. By calling to God—there is hope.

CONCLUSION:
Do you realize the bondage of sin? The greatness of despair?
Your desperate plight?
Let us cry to God for deliverance.