pramsay posted on November 05, 2009 18:30
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Bible Bites
www.heaven4sure
Saved! Now What? Keep Sinning?
Someone says to you: "Really? You are saved and all your sins are forgiven and there's not the slightest chance that you could lose your salvation? If that's the case then, you can go out and do whatever you want. You can commit as many sins as you like and still, at the end of the day, you're saved. That's quite a deal!"
What a warped and dark perspective on the amazing salvation that has forever changed our lives. A genuine Christian has already come to terms with the darkness and deadliness of their sins. They have no desire to live the rest of their lives in the quagmire of sin. Repentance is the 180 degree turn from sin to Christ.
An authentic believer is repulsed by sin. When we fall into sin, we experience deep sadness and a chill in the fellowship that we enjoyed with our Lord. (1John 1:8,9) We fall away from the rich enjoyment of our great salvation; but we sure do not fall away from our salvation! Once the sin has been confessed, the intimate fellowship we enjoyed with our Heavenly Father is restored.
A genuine believer's main thrust in life is to honor and please Christ their Saviour. They have no desire to continue to live a sinful life. Where did their new set of desires come from? That's what the new birth is - they have received a new life with new desires. It's called Divine life. (2Peter 1:4) The Holy Spirit takes up permanent residence in a believer at the moment of conversion and that's why very real lifestyle changes start to happen.
For the grace of God has appeared.
training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions,
and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives
in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope,
the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
(Titus 2:11-13)
Are you a professing Christian? Is your life changing? There is a life-long training, educating or disciplining process going on in every believer. The process causes us to abandon the 'ungodly' things, 'unholy' habits and worldly desires so evident in our former lives. The training process produces a self-control we never had before, enabling us to live upright and godly lives that are pleasing to God.
The training process referred to in the verse is the outcome of the work of the Holy Spirit living and working inside me as I read my Bible and pray every day with a submissive spirit. The lifestyle changes are progressive and continual.
Have you experienced any of this? A genuine believer has!
Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.
Warmly in Christ
Peter Ramsay
peter@heaven4sure.com