Scriptures: Ephesians 2:8-9 Recently I was talking with a fellow about his spiritual life. When I asked, "Are you saved?" he answered, "No, but I'm working at it." When I pressed him, he explained that he was making some changes in his life. He had given up smoking and drinking, among other things. I knew that I should help him understand a few important principles, as his only guarantee so far was better health. What this gentleman needed to realize was that what we do or what we give up for Jesus doesn't amount to much. The Lord isn't looking for people who change a few habits by sheer force of will; He's calling people to surrender themselves to Him. The only action God expects of a "seeker" is to believe in Jesus--that He is who He says, He will do what He says, He has the authority to forgive, and He will equip His people to live a godly life. Because of those convictions, a new Christian is empowered to turn away from
The Bible tells us that if we confess our sins to God, we will be forgiven through the shed blood of the Savior, but that doesn’t mean that God will immediately erase the consequences. As the psalmist says, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” – Psalm 51:2-3 He forgives anyone who genuinely repents. Jesus died for our sins, but understand that the sacrifice was to get us right with God, not to protect us from earthy consequences. The thief must still face prison, the child will be disciplined by his parents, and the adulterer still faces the risk of losing everything. Look at the story of David. After being guilty of adultery, abuse of power, murder and cover-up, the guilt of his sin clung to him everywhere he went. Then, he confessed his sin to God before a priest and he was instantly forgiven by God. But while God instantly forgave David, he did not remove the negative consequences of his sins. For the rest of his life, he found the consequences of his sins. With repentance and confession, God forgives instantly. But He doesn’t remove the consequences of our sin. We have to live with those consequences. Some people think that they can do as they wish and then confess, asking forgiveness and everything will be all right. It will be right with God, but we still have to face the music composed by our past sinful actions, so careful to remember when temptations come, the price can be high no matter how much God forgives us. Hallelujah, God bless
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