But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were given over, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
Romans 6:17–18, LSB
Sin enslaves us. We may say things like, “It’s a bad habit of mine” or “It’s just something I do.” The reality is that we are more often controlled by our sins. It is an addiction. Jesus seeks to break all of that and create new patterns. He wants to take us out of the bondage of sin and bind us to Himself. Why bind? In being bound to Him, we are kept from the bondage that once held us. This is the blessing of God’s choosing of us. He clings on to us and doesn’t let us go. Our old ways will continually try to snag us away, but our Lord keeps hold of us. Our Lord makes us fully aware of the wrong and creates discomfort if we lean back into the old ways. Our Lord gives us new hearts that no longer find things of the past as inviting. It is not a change that necessarily comes all at once but may be gradual as old “habits” fall away and are replaced by new patterns that lead to life. As our Lord binds us to Himself, He creates us anew and fills us with His peace.