In the last few pages of his book The Abolition of Man, C. S. Lewis compiles sayings from various world religions to highlight their near-universal agreement on which behaviors are encouraged and which are discouraged.
For example, virtually all religions are against lying. They hold that we’re not supposed to break our promises. We’re not supposed to rob or murder each other. Instead, they all say we should respect each other. We’re supposed to seek justice and equity. We’re supposed to be generous with our possessions. In short, we’re supposed to live by the Golden Rule — to treat everyone how we ourselves want to be treated.
All the religions that Lewis lists believe that this is the way we should live. And they also believe that the main reason for all the misery in the world is that we don’t live this way.
So this raises the question: What is it about the human condition that makes it possible — perhaps even inevitable — that despite knowing exactly how we should live and knowing the consequences of not doing so, we nevertheless fail to live by that standard over and over again?
We Know What We Should Do. So Why Don’t We Do It?
No matter who our therapist is, which philosophy we believe, whether our government is liberal or conservative or fascist or democratic, we all keep failing to do the right thing, to live the right way. We know what we should do. But we don’t do it.
How can we explain that?
The Bible’s explanation is that human hearts are sinful. But more than that, the Bible tells us that we have become slaves to sin.
The Bible says sin is not just an action; it’s a power. Every sinful action has a destructive power on the faculty that chose that action. For example, when you sin with your mind, that sin shrivels your mind’s rationality. When you sin with your heart, that sin shrivels your heart’s emotions. When you sin with your will, that sin dissolves your willpower and self-control.
Sin is the suicidal action of the self harming the self. And no matter how we sin, doing so destroys our freedom and enslaves us. Look at the children of Israel in Numbers 11, for example. After God has delivered them from slavery, what is their attitude? We had a wonderful time in Egypt. Let’s go back.
Time and time again, the children of Israel crave the comforts of Egyptian civilization and want to go back even though doing so would mean returning to social, political, and economic slavery. Not only that, but returning to Egypt would result in them being treated worse than before, if not being flat-out annihilated.
Anyone today reading this passage can easily think, “What idiots! How in the world can they want fish so bad that they’d let themselves become slaves again? Who would want to get whipped and beaten just for onions and garlic?” To any contemporary reader, the obvious thing to do is stick with the manna, however unappetizing it may be, and go on to the promised land.
It’s so clear what needs to be done, yet the Israelites can’t do it. They won’t do it. They don’t do it. Why not? Because they are still slaves — not as they were in Egypt but slaves nonetheless: spiritual slaves.
Every Human Being Is a Slave to Sin
To be a political slave or an economic slave means you have no power to do what’s best for yourself. For example, you might know the best thing for you is not to make bricks but rather to be a dancer. But if you’re a political or economic slave, you are powerless to pursue the best use of your gifts and talents. The children of Israel had been removed from this type of slavery, but they remained subjected to a pernicious form of slavery. They were spiritually powerless to do the right thing — unable to do what was best for them.
The Bible says every human being on the face of the earth is a spiritual slave in this same way. Paul puts it like this in Romans 7:18, 21 (NIV): “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. … So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” He summarizes the issue in verse 14: “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.” Paul himself is telling us that the more he wants to do good, the less he is able to do it. He is powerless to do what is good. He is a slave.
Yes, Even You
Some people may read that and think, “That’s an overstatement, or at the very least it doesn’t apply to me. I’m not like Paul. I’ve never felt powerless to do what’s right.” But look at what Paul is saying: The more he tries, the higher he aspires to live, the more he is aware of his spiritual slavery, which means if we aren’t aware that we are spiritually enslaved, our moral ambition is too low.
For example, most everybody agrees with the Golden Rule. But if you think you have no problem living by that rule, I challenge you to try it for just twelve hours. For just one day, do unto others exactly as you would want to have people do to you. Half a day, in fact. Try to meet the needs of others with all the strength, joy, creativity, and speed with which you meet your own needs. Be as excited about their success as you would your own.
If you try this, within a few hours — maybe within a few minutes — you’ll find yourself thinking, “I see it now. The more I try to do good, the more I struggle to do it. The more I sense the powerlessness within me.” And then you’ll be able to say with Paul in verse 24, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”
We are spiritual slaves. We see what should be done, but we can’t do it. And anybody who thinks they can simply hasn’t tried very hard.
Adapted from What Is Wrong With the World? The Surprising, Hopeful Answer to the Question We Cannot Avoid by Timothy Keller.
Everywhere we look, we see brokenness — wars, cruelty, and heartache. We feel it in the world around us and in our own lives. How did it get to be this way?
In this book drawing from some of his most acclaimed sermons, beloved pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller offers a hope-filled answer to the question beneath every devastating headline and personal loss: What is wrong with the world?
Timothy J. Keller (1950–2023) was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, cofounder of Redeemer City to City, and the author of numerous books, including The Reason for God, The Prodigal God and The Meaning of Marriage. His books have sold over 6 million copies and been translated into 29 languages.
