Deliverance From Our Bondage to Sin

How many of you are familiar with “the Seven Deadly Sins”? According to some reports, the listing of certain egregious sins goes back for hundreds of years. What did the list of sins include? 1. Envy (some referred to it as Covetousness) 2. Anger 3. Pride 4. Sloth (laziness or lethargy) 5. Avarice (greed) 6. Gluttony 7. Lust What would the list include in our world today? “Whatever Became of Sin?” is the title of a book written forty-plus years ago. The author was Karl Menninger, M.D. The book’s title asks an excellent question! Whatever became of sin? Many people seem to have difficulty identifying or defining sin! The Bible, however, does not mince words: 1 John 3:4 -- “Sin is the transgression of the law.” Old King James Version. News KJV – “sin is lawlessness.” (This definition describes “commission.” In other words, what actions we take, or what we do. James 4:17 – “…to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” This describes omission, knowing but omitting or not doing, Romans 14:23 “…whatever is not of faith is sin.” Attitude and intent can also be sin. 1 John 5:17 – “All unrighteousness is sin.” This is an all-inclusive summary definition of sin. The Days of Unleavened Bread remind us that sin is a powerful force – one that can enslave us in bonadage. John 8:34 “…Most assuredly, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” Brethren, the days of Unleavened Bread teach us about deliverance from sin – coming out of spiritual bondage!

John Cafourek (1945-2017) served in the ministry of Jesus Christ with his wife, Sandy, for 46 years.

John was born in South Dakota. He attended Ambassador College in Pasadena, California, from 1965 to 1969, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He received a Master’s Degree in psychological counseling from Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in 1978. John pastored churches in Nebraska, North Dakota, Missouri, Mississippi, Washington, and Oregon.

He directed speech clubs for men, gave seminars on abuse and addictions, and traveled as an international speaker in Canada, England, New Zealand, Jamaica, Australia, and other areas. He also directed a United Church of God preteen camp for children ages 6 to 12 and served at the church’s teen camp.