Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Heb 12:14 NIV
If this text does not inspire the fear of God in you, then there is something wrong with your faith.
For example, if you are involved in pornography addiction, should you expect to go to heaven?
It's good to proclaim the truth of God, but if you keep aggressively belittling those who think differently, do the outsiders see the love of God in you? Will your religious pride open the door to heaven for you?
If we are saved only by holy living, we must live godly lives.
What does that mean? Can we earn eternal life?
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
not by works, so that no one can boast. Eph 2:8–9 NIV
We are saved from condemnation by God's grace, but we must never forget that we are saved not only from God's punishment, but from sin, from the old unholy life.
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Rom 6:1–2 NIV
God gives us grace to live as disciples of Jesus, not as sinners who expect God's forgiveness lightly and unconditionally.
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Jn 8:31–32 NASB95
I read a story about a prostitute who attended a church service. She kept attending the service and she came to faith. Her thinking and character changed bit by bit. Then she began to tithe. A while later, she left her work in the brothel and began to lead a completely new life.
This conversion was a process. When was she accepted by Jesus as a child of God? Only God knows that. We must not rush to judgement, but we do know one thing: If she had stayed in the brothel, she would never have got to heaven.
But there are many Christians who were never shameful sinners like this prostitute, but they were nevertheless secretly addicted to pornography, or they were cruel husbands, or greedy businessmen. If they don't repent, should they expect God's blessing and salvation?
What did Jesus say?
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mk 1:14–15 NIV
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Repent and Believe.
Labels:
Cruelty,
Faith,
Holiness,
Pornography,
Pride,
Prostitution,
Repentance,
Saved from Sin
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