I devoted my last blog entry to those who have yet to put their faith in the Lord; today, I am writing to those who are walking with the Lord, and have placed their trust in Him.
Not long after I became a believer in and disciple of the Lord, I was driving with another believer. During the course of the drive, we talked about walking in our faith. At one point in our conversation, he made a very shocking statement; he said, “I am free to do whatever I want since my sins have been forgiven past, present and future.” He was referring to sinning. This statement not only shocked me, but I completely did not agree with it.
One of my favorite verses, which has impacted me the most is:
“And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain for He says, “AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU”; behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION” —” 2 Co 6:1-2 (emphasis mine)
The fact that our Messiah paid for our sins past, present, and future is by no means a license to continue sinning. Sadly, today in many places, a watered-down gospel is being taught. I often hear the term, “Salvation is a free gift”, which is a statement I disagree with. While it is true that we cannot earn or attain salvation through our works, the reality is that our salvation came with a very heavy price, which none of us have the right to take lightly or in vain.
Does that mean that we will not struggle with sin? No, we will still struggle with our sinful nature, and the reality is that if the Holy Spirit lives within us, then anything we do which is unholy will cause restlessness in our spirits. However, this is by no means a reason for us to continue on willfully sinning! Let us not forget that we will stand before the LORD and give an account for our lives.
As followers of the Messiah, we have the great honor of serving Him on this earth; we are God’s salt and light on this earth… how can we fulfill our call if we continue living in willful sin?
I believe that God is speaking to one of you, my readers, and I want to encourage you that it is not too late; God waits for you to return to Him, and He wants you to dwell in His house forever.
Just like Jonah upon his repentance, just like Simon Peter upon his call on the Lord, so are you able to call upon the Lord to save you, return from your selfish ways, and recommit yourself to Him.
Shabbat Shalom,
Moran
2 Comments on ““…And I will dwell (rest) in the house of the Lord for length of days.” Part 2”
Concordo, o mosso Messias sempre disse vai e não peques mais. E se estamos N’Ele o nosso prazer está em sermos santificados a cada dia, sermos separados do pecado. O pecado traz a morte física e espiritual, e uma vida de consagração e santificação, traz vida, comunhão mais íntima com Ele. Temos que orar por aqueles que ainda não tem esse entendimento, e para que possam alcança-lo, e partilhar conosco e dão grande salvação.
A muitos foi lhe apresentado a Verdade, mas poucos vivem na verdade em comunhão. Por isso digo não basta está dentro da igreja, tem que se ter vida com Deus, diariamente, constantemente! Em uma passagem da bíblia diz desenvolvei a vossa salvação.
Shabbat Shalom Moran.