SIN HAS NO DOMINION

"Oh Companion, I am so troubled in my heart. For Sin seems to pay no mind to my new estate. Even now, he continues to push open the door of my home and barges in without leave or asking. I find he overwhelms me with his power and energy, and it is so hard to resist his invitations to go with him as before. For he was my Landlord and constant companion, and his presence still finds a welcome in my heart, however much I may desire otherwise."

"Ah", said Companion, "you have need of reminding. It is true that Sin was once your Landlord and Master. He had every right to enter your home at any hour, day or night, and he did so at his pleasure. But you must remind him that he is no longer your Landlord, for you have been bought at a great price and are no longer his to command. He no longer has any right to enter your home without leave or asking, and he must acknowledge this to be so." Companion reached down to the table and produced a sheet of paper with bright letters and glowing words. "Here, Christian, take this and post it on the door of your heart and home. It is the Deed to your Life and Heart, announcing that Sin no longer has dominion there, for Another has taken authority. Sin must recognize and abide by this Deed, for it is the Word of God."

Christian went on his way, rejoicing that the Law no longer condemned him to the rule of Sin, and that he was now free to refute its demands and appeals. After a few days, Companion went to visit Christian and see how he prospered in his new-found freedom. He was happy to see the Deed securely posted on the door of Christian's home, and as he crossed the threshold he called out a blessing on his Brother. But there Christian sat in his armchair, his face wet with tears and his body shaking with weeping. "What is the matter, Christian?", asked Companion, "Why the sorrow and wailing?"

It took some time for Christian to quieten his soul again, and he then poured forth his tale of woe. "Oh what a fool I am! I posted the Deed, just as you told me, Companion, and when next Sin came to my door, he saw it there and read. My, but he howled and yelled and complained until I had to call out to him to be silent. As soon as he heard my voice, he began to call out to my most sadly, wondering what I could mean by shutting him out in this way. I announced boldly to him that I was now under a new Master and that he no longer had any right of entry into my home. To my utter surprise, he agreed immediately, for he had to acknowledge the Truth of the Word. I was amazed and happy, rejoicing in the power of the Word to overcome all Enemies. Then it was that Sin asked my permission to enter, not to engage in any of our former pursuits, but simply to talk over old times and bid each other adieu. 'After all', he said, 'would it not be fitting for us to review the life from which you have been so recently saved, so as to glorify your new Master the more?'

"I must admit, Companion, that his words seemed to make sense. After all, what could be more pleasing to the Master than that I should remember all that he has brought me safe from, the dirt I was in before he washed me clean? But no sooner had I invited Sin into my home to engage in such profitable talk, than he began to walk around the room, pointing out little mementoes of our times together. 'Do you remember this?', he would say; 'or when we picked up this trinket on our travels together?'. And in no time I was indeed remembering our shared past: but not with the tone of one saved from such evil days, but rather with the wistful smile of a treasured memory.

"Oh Companion! To my shame, within a matter of minutes, Sin had convinced me to go travelling with him again to see the old haunts and meet the old friends again. He claimed it would be a farewell visit, but indeed his aim was to swamp me once more. For I looked at the fruit and I saw that it was good to eat. The attraction of Sin and the pleasure he promised were only too real to me. I am so ashamed of my weakness, and so dejected when I consider how easily I was seduced again from my Master!"

Again, Christian burst into pitiful sobs and Companion rushed to his side, holding his hand and comforting his friend. "Tell me, Christian, have you repented of your weakness and asked for cleansing from the Master of your soul once more?" Christian nodded, and smiled for the first time that day. "Oh Companion, I did! And his peace returned and I know his cleansing again. But how am I to deal with Sin? He knows me so well, and has so many ties to my past that he can so easily move me to remember and long again for past weaknesses. How am I to escape his power?"

Companion settled himself in a chair opposite his friend and smiled warmly. "It is important to learn from your mistakes. But it is even more important to remember the Truth and to fix your heart and mind too on what is Real. First of all, take joy in what you have learned already. After you changed Masters, Sin continued to enter your home at his own pleasure, even though he no longer had any legal right to do so. So long as you allowed him to behave so, he took full advantage of the situation. You had to set before him, and before your own mind too, clearly and forcefully, the Truth of the Word of God. You have been bought at a price and now Sin has no more dominion over you. Before you were his slave, but now you are free of his chains and he must obey the Word.

"But always remember this: Sin and his Source are liars and very subtle. They do not play fair. They will ignore the Truth as long as you do, and make claims upon you which are false. But if you do not challenge them and refute their lies, they will continue to persecute and seduce you into bondage. Look at your experience: Sin only entered when you invited him in. He had no intention of bidding you goodbye, but only sought entry to entice you with memories and false promises once more. Keep him out! Close your door against him and lock it firmly in his face. There are two locks which will withstand his heaviest assaults: first, the Word of God will bar his way with the Truth that you are no longer a slave to Sin, but have been set free by the Blood of the Lamb. Second of all, use Faith as a strong lock on the door of your home. It is one thing to know the Word of God in all its power and Truth: it is often quite another thing to believe it. So, close your door in the face of Sin and double-lock it with the Word of God and Faith. Then Sin may scream and yell at your door as much as he will, but he is not allowed enter, nor can he."

So the days went by, and weeks and months, and Christian would visit his Friend now and then to fellowship and rejoice together in the newness of their lives. Christian reported that Companion's advice had been followed and proved trustworthy. For often Sin would arrive at his door, only to find it closed and locked. Then would he shout and protest, demanding entrance and claiming his old rights and authority. But loud as he would cry, Christian would remain quiet within, reading the Word and rejoicing in his freedom. Soon, Christian's joy in his victory turned to pride as he imagined that it was his own uprightness and strength which kept Sin out, and not the Deed and the great Locks on his door of which Sin was afraid.

Sure enough, the day came when Christian did not visit Companion as arranged, and his friend had to go to Christian's home to see what had happened. Once again, there was Christian weeping and moaning, defeated and dejected. Companion soothed his friend and spoke words of encouragement and forgiveness, and slowly Christian quieted his soul and accepted that his Master had not finally rejected him for his weakness. Gathering his strength, he told his story.

"I had become proud in my place of safety, believing that I had grown strong in myself and had reached a place where Sin could no longer tempt me. So, when he came to my door again, I was not surprised when he admitted defeat. Instead of shouting, he whispered and his soft words were hard to hear behind the door. So I crept close to the threshold and strained to hear his words. He spoke of surrender, acknowledging that he had lost me completely and could never hope to win me back again. His voice grew even more quiet as he began to recount the days of old, and I was forced to press close to the door to pick out his words. He sounded so sad, wondering why I had become so strict in my ways, rejecting even those things he called innocent and harmless. Of course, he admitted, there had been certain kinds of behaviour which he could see now were completely out of keeping with the ways of my new life, but what of those other entertainments?

He wondered why I would not follow him in ways which, he believed, were not to be found condemned in the Word of God. He sighed heavily, sad that anyone would condemn such harmless sport. I had, he feared, become a fanatic, rejecting things which so many of my Brothers allowed still. As he spoke, I began to think of such Brethren, those who claimed to believe as I did, to follow the same Master. They did indeed still allow themselves certain freedom of behaviour which I had thought unhealthy. Perhaps I was too strict. After all, I heard Sin mutter, was I so proud and arrogant that I would put myself above my Brethren? Or was it out of fear that I had withdrawn from such ways? Was I afraid that I would be somehow swept away into darker deeds if once I succumbed to less harmful things? Where then, Sin asked, was my faith, my strength, my power if it could be so easily toppled?

I began to think that it was arrogant of me to think that I could remain aloof from the world, that I was placing a new chain on my life by holding to too high a standard. After all, I reasoned, I am only human: could my Master really expect me to live without some involvement with Sin? I became aware that Sin had risen from his place by my door, and I could hear his footsteps moving down the path to the road, his sad murmurings fading as he went. I suddenly saw myself as a proud hypocrite, pretending to be holier than my fellows and claiming to be something I could never be: without sin in a sinful world. So, my dear friend, I opened my door and called after Sin, even running after him down the road. I assured him that I was not really arrogant and that I saw no harm in spending time with him, so long as we did not return to all the old ways of yore. Of course, he reassured me that nothing was further from his thoughts than that he should lead me away from a life which he could now see was good and laudable and completely inoffensive.

"So, Companion, can you not guess the rest? As I allowed Sin to guide my way, I went from thinking that, if a little was all right, then a little more would be acceptable. Step by step, almost (almost!) without my realising it, I returned to my old haunts and my old ways, still calling myself new and washed, but slowly losing all aspects that made me different. Then, one day I awoke to find that I had lost that peace and joy which I had found with the Master. I was no longer clean. And as this Truth dawned on me, I saw that Sin was watching me closely, his eyes full of glee and his smile cruel and vindictive. I understood that, what his shouting had failed to do, his whispers had achieved easily. He saw that I had come to my senses, and he laughed in my face.

"When I stood to leave, shaking with the horror of what I had done, Sin began to taunt me horribly. He told me that I had burnt my bridges, that the Master would never take me back again after so completely failing him once again. He told me to forget the whole idea of living under a new Master, that the Truth was only for the strong and pure and holy, and I had adequately proved to be none of those things. He told me I should be ashamed to face my Master again, and beg for forgiveness after being so ungrateful. And, I must admit, that for a while I believed him. I could not imagine that I could be forgiven for this. Before, I could claim that Sin had overwhelmed me, such irresistible power and energy had swept me away against my will. But this time, there was no such defense. I had deliberately considered my actions and had coldly chosen to follow Sin, to believe his words and compromises. What could be my defense now?"

There was a silence in the room as both Brothers considered the Truth. Then Companion asked: "So, what did you do? How did you come to return home again?" Christian smiled an embarrassed smile. "Where else could I go? I began to think that, if Sin was so definite that I could not be forgiven, then there must be hope for me. For Sin always lies, or bends the Truth, so nothing he says is trustworthy. On the one hand, he said I was past forgiveness. On the other hand, the Word said that if we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Therefore, I resolved that the Master would be my only hope. I could not stand before him as a deluded fool, nor as a well-intentioned failure. I could make no defense. So I went to him empty-handed: a sinner, now and always, throwing myself entirely on his mercy and grace to forgive, cleanse and sustain me through life. And he received me.

But how much I have learned about myself, Brother! I see now how arrogantly I assumed that standing in my strength and quoting the Word would answer all the attacks of the Enemy. Now I know that it is only the Master's strength that can sustain me in times of temptation and trial. If I try to rely on myself, I will fail. Sin will always out-think me, out-reason me, will always find a way to convince me of the reasonableness of his ways. Of course, it is unrealistic to think that I can live sinless in this sinful body. But the answer is not to compromise with sin, but to allow another Life to live through me, to appeal to a greater power and strength and holiness that I will ever possess to overcome the wiles of the Enemy.

Last night, Sin came back to my door. Once more, he began to whisper and suggest. But this time, I did not draw close to hear better. I began to sing and praise and worship. I started reminding myself of the beauty and love and mercy I have been shown. I cleared my house of everything that would remind me of Sin and his ways, and replaced them with things of worth and value to the Master. Sin was disturbed by my refusal to pay attention to him and began to rebuke me for hearing him. But I was reminded of the Truth and assured myself: temptation is not sin, giving into temptation, allowing it to remain and to dwell on it, that is Sin.

So I locked my doors, sang and rejoiced, knowing that it was my Master's strength and holiness that protected me and kept me from falling." So Christian and his Friend laughed and rejoiced together, giving thanks that they no longer had to face Sin alone. The chains were broken and they were free to choose which way to follow. Now they would call on the strength and power of their loving, all-powerful Master to enable them to walk in the Light and the Holiness of God.