Abstain From Sin

 1 Peter 2:11
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.
Unbelievers of this world judge Christians by the fruit they manifest. They do have high expectations that Christians will live a life that mirrors the life of Christ. Our influence for Christ is demonstrated by how we treat others. Our words of testimony have very little impact on others if our lives are not consistent with the teachings of Jesus. Peter admonishes believers not to give in to temptations to fulfill sinful desires that we may face. If we give in to the flesh, we are no different from the world that lives in their sin. Living for Jesus is a transformational life. The old things of the world have passed away, and all things have become new. Being a follower of Jesus is being a light to the world around us. When the world sees the good works that Christians do, they recognize that Christians are not like others, they are selfless, giving, charitable and kind. If they observe Christians giving in to sinful behavior, they lose respect for those who call themselves Christians. The bumper sticker, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.” can give the impression that Christians are still sinners. Christians have been delivered from sin and are now called to be saints of God.  Christians are not perfect, they are still subject to human shortcomings and mistakes, but the heart can be made perfect before God. This world is not our home, we are only passing through. Like a vapor, we are only here for a short time. What little time we have, may it glorify God in heaven.

Pressing Toward the Prize

 Philip 3:13,14
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,.. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The past is behind me. The things of the world have been left behind. I have come to the understanding that I am nothing, and all my good works are but waste and fruitless in obtaining salvation. Going to church, following all the rules of behavior and ritual all come short. Like the rich young ruler, evening keeping all the moral laws of God, I still come empty handed. I now press toward the cross of Christ, looking only to Jesus for grace and forgiveness. There is now a higher calling, a calling to be more like Jesus, a desire to obtain the perfect mind of Christ. Looking for the day where this body will be resurrected and adamic perfection is obtained, mortality becomes immortality. But until that day, we press toward Christian perfection, our hearts can be perfect before God. Keep your eyes on the goal, the prize of eternal life. The journey may not be easy, but it will be worth it all. Keep pressing on!

Fervent Love

1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

We all fall short from perfection. God is able to keep us blameless from willful transgressions, but we are still human with shortcomings in our personality, judgements and habits. In this respect we will never be perfect. Satan seeks to divide the people of God by causing friction and discord among the believers. Peter had his share of conflicts. His own prejudices caused Paul to confront his misjudgment. We will face situations in our lives where we will not understand the actions of others. We can become frustrated and resentful. In times like these, it is imperative that we asked the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His perfect love. Fervent love that will cover the wrong doings of others. Let love reign, casting away all forms of bitterness and hatred.  

Whom I Believe

2 Tim. 1:12 But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. (ESV)

In a world that is no friend to grace, it is tempting to fear what others may think or how they may treat you. To stand firm in a secular world view, one must know with conviction what they believe and to whom they believe in. We hold a trust, a treasure of faith within us. Jesus Christ, a treasure more precious than gold.  The Holy Spirit who dwells within us gives us the power to keep that which we have obtained through faith. The Christian world view is being attacked, and many of the truths that we stand for not politically correct. As the day grows closer to the return of Christ, it becomes more imperative that we don’t stray from God’s word. The Holy Spirit is our guide as He leads us into truth and to stay true to sound doctrine and what is right. 

Being Perfect

Leviticus 19:2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.

God’s standard of living is to live holy lives. In the OT this meant that the people of God were to be separate from the nations around them, they were not to worship the gods that other nations worshipped. They had special laws that they needed to follow to maintain a life that was holy unto the Lord. The laws of holy living had more to do with keeping the statues given in the ten commandments and ceremonial rituals given to them for worship and sacrifices for sin. Since the death of Jesus, the ceremonial law of sacrifices is no longer required. Jesus made the supreme sacrifice for sin, paid the ultimate price by shedding His blood on the cross. The command to be holy after the death of Christ, goes beyond the keeping the commandments. The love of God in Christ now written on the tables of our heart. Jesus tells us to; “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” mat.5:48. This perfection supersede the written law and is only made possible by the indwelling presence of Jesus in our lives. With man, living and being holy is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.

His Grace Makes us Perfect

1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

His grace will make you perfect. Christian Perfection is too often confused with being flawless and without error. This body has lived under the curse of sin since the fall of Adam. The body grows fatigue, the mind is subject to misunderstanding and proper judgement. On this earth, we can never obtain this type of perfection. The grace that God provides will be the strength to do what is right, when right is known. We can be perfectly submitted to the will of God and His plan for our life. The notion that Christians cannot live a perfect life in Christ is base on a false premise. Must Christians sin in thought, word, and deed? Is this a state of being that God’s grace is not able to help? As Paul would say, “God forbid”. The limitation of human perfection are real, but God’s grace can establish and settle the heart within each believer to always do what is right with a motive to please God. That is the grace of God at work.

We Believe with all our Hearts

Act 8: 37 If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Believing with all your heart holds back no reservations of your motives and intentions. To believe intellectually that Jesus in the Son of God is a good start, but it will not be enough to have eternal life. The devil believe that Jesus is the Son of God and tremble in His presence. Our belief in Jesus must go to the heart of our affections. It is the passion of our life to know that Jesus is who He says He is. He is the Son of God, the 2nd person of the triune God. We believe that He came to earth to take on the sins of the world by dying on the cross, we believe that we must accept this gift for us by confessing our sins and believe that the power of Christ can forgive us of our transgressions. We believe that Jesus not only came to take away our sins, but provided a way for us to live a life without sin. Not human perfection, but heart perfection. Christian perfection is made possible because we believe that Jesus died without the gate to sanctify us. Sending the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. When we believe with all our hearts, there is a transformation in our lives that changes the way we think, the way we act, and the things we love. I believe this with all my heart!