Do you ever feel like you just can’t help doing something you know is bad? Maybe you just can’t stop gossiping about a family member or coworker. Maybe you just can’t forgive that person who hurt or irritated you. Maybe you find yourself making comparisons with others, which causes you to become jealous or envious. Maybe you would call yourself a people-pleaser because you do everything to make sure others are happy with you or accept you. Maybe you often become passive-aggressive or manipulative if things don’t go how you thought they would.
I know I do things that seem impossible not to do. I’m an EXTREMELY introverted enneagram 5. I often feel awkward around other people, so I just avoid talking and interacting with them. This is SO bad! But it seems like I just can’t help feeling this way.
Whenever we do the things that we just can’t help but doing, we often blame it on our personality types. For example, I could say that I avoid social interactions because I’m an enneagram 5. But the Bible suggests a different reason for our conflict. The Apostle Paul experienced this same conflict during his ministry and declared that it is because we were “sold under sin” (Romans 7:14-15).
When Adam and Eve chose to sin against God, every human being gained a sin nature and became enslaved to sin (Genesis 3, Romans 5:12). Every human being is unrighteous and falls short of God’s glory (Romans 3:10,23). We are slaves to our sinful passions, and we must serve them (Titus 3:3). Basically, every human being can no longer avoid doing bad things. We suffer and groan from this inward conflict, and we are in desperate need of redemption (Romans 8:18,23).
Thanks be to God that redemption is available to us wretched sinners! Redemption and salvation are available to us through the work of Jesus Christ. And when we receive our redemption, we’re no longer enslaved to our sinful masters. Paul teaches this to the Galatians:
“So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” Galatians 4:7, ESV
When we are saved by Christ, we are redeemed and adopted by our heavenly father. We become His heirs and daughters. And we are no longer slaves to sin.
Now, what does it mean that we become heirs? What do we inherit from our heavenly Father? Paul makes it clear throughout his writings that believers inherit the Holy Spirit, which gives believers “…assurance that he or she is God’s child”(1) (Romans 8:12-17, Galatians 3:29-4:7, Titus 3:4-7). The Apostle Peter also writes that believers inherit the hope of eternal life, which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading (1 Peter 1:3-4). Finally,
“All who are God’s children are also heirs of His promises…”(1)
God promises in Scripture to always love His people, to always be with His people, to always care for His people, and those promises become ours when we’re redeemed and become heirs of God.
You have a sinful nature, so there are going to be times when it feels like you just can’t stop doing the things you hate. But, if you’ve received Christ’s redemption, you are no longer in bondage to sin. You are a daughter of God! And you now have the choice to say no to your sinful masters (1 Corinthians 10:13). You will never be perfect in avoiding sin, but you are an heir of God. God promises all His heirs a future eternal life that will be completely without sin. Praise God that He always keeps His promises!
“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations,” Deuteronomy 7:9
- The ESV Study Bible, Personal Size, ESV Bible (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008), 2170-2171.
