All sin has some attraction or people wouldn’t be tempted to sin. Eve saw the desirability of eating of the tree of the knowledge of good or evil as described by the serpent. Genesis 3:6a “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.” In reference to young Moses in Egypt, Hebrews 11:25 states that he was “choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.” Sin is pleasurable or desirable in some way or people wouldn’t sin. James 1:14-15 “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
Because of the desirability of sin, there is also an addictive nature of sin. We can easily see the addictive nature in things such as drunkenness or compulsive gambling where a person can’t stop drinking or can’t stop gambling. I believe that all sin has the potential to be addictive. A person may sin and afterwards see the consequences of the sin and tell himself that he won’t do it again. Later, he may think about the desirability of the sin, become enticed, and sin again. This applies to sins such as sexual immorality, lying, stealing, greediness, hatred, evil talk, gossiping, covetousness and on and on the list goes. A sinner commits a sin over and over again and thus is addicted to sin.
In drug addiction, a person may start off with one drug and then move on to a harder drug. In the same way, one sin often leads to another sin. For example, covetousness may lead to sexual immorality which may lead to lying. For many people, there seems to be an ever increasing addiction to sin as time goes by. Romans 6:19 says “lawlessness leading to more lawlessness”.
The Bible describes this addictive nature of sin as slavery to sin. Romans 6:16-19 “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.”
We are, therefore, either addicted to or a slave to sin, or we are addicted to or a slave to righteousness. Which is it going to be for you? Each has its consequences. Romans 6:20-23 “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The consequence of sin slavery is death but the gift of God for righteousness slavery is eternal life.
My encouragement to you is Romans 6:12-14 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”