The story has been told of a Belgian Duke named Raynald III. Raynald had a problem: he liked to eat and did not like to stop. He was such a glutton that he earned the Latin nickname “Crassus,” which meant “fat.” Needless to say, he was a very large man.

While Raynald III was a glutton, his brother, Charles, was cruel. Charles launched a coup against his brother and succeeded in taking control of the dukedom. Rather than kill his brother, Charles had a special room constructed around Raynald. The room was left unlocked, but the doors and windows were of slightly smaller-than-average size. Raynald was trapped by his own girth-- he couldn't fit through the doorway.

Every day, Charles had a feast delivered to Raynald. He did this knowing full well that Raynald would be unable to control himself and indulge to the point of excess. Raynald remained a prisoner of that room for ten long years before the loyalists freed him. The damage done to his health was so vast, however, that he died a year after gaining freedom.

This true story warns us of the dangers of sin. Unlike water, which seeks its own level, sin is never content to remain level. Sin will grow and swell from a momentary, happy diversion into a crutch that carries us through hard times and finally become an addiction that controls every area of our life. We will be trapped by the cords of our sin and prisoners of our own appetites.

We are not without hope. The glorious grace of God will deliver us from the cords of our sins and make us free. I urge you to exchange the slavery of sin for the liberty of Christ. Confess your sins today and find forgiveness and deliverance in Christ.