Giving it your all. That is what God expects of us.
Are you sitting on the fence, as it were, hoping God sees your one foot on His side, but still keeping your other foot…NOT?
We know that “being saved” is not “being without sin“. If that were God’s requirement, then we would all be one sorry lot! He does not sit on His high throne waiting for us to clean-up our act before He can accept us.
Jesus invites sinners sinning — to come to Him – “just as I am, without one plea….” And He asks that as we repent, we align our heart and mind towards His ways, determined to follow Him with all that we are. Forgetting our past, confessing our sin, we choose Him above all others.
If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].
He accepts us in our sin, and then He begins to free us from our sins. He works in our life, moment by moment, to conform us to be more and more like Christ. If we truly aligned our heart with His heart, then we will follow Him in all our ways.
Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].
Jesus only saves the sinning sinner that draws near to Him and sincerely repents. We must be “all in” with Him. It’s a matter of the heart, not a matter of how little or how much we sin. The list of sinning saints is a long list (and you’re on it if you’ve been saved!). The one who repents with sincerity and truth — will “serve Him with a blameless heart and a willing mind” (1 Chronicles 28:9).
God made this clear to King Solomon, and He makes it clear to us.
1 Chronicles 28:9
“As for you, Solomon my son,
know the God of your father
[have personal knowledge of Him,
be acquainted with, and understand Him;
appreciate, heed, and cherish Him]
and serve Him
with a blameless heart and a willing mind;
for the Lord searches all hearts and minds,
and understands every intent and inclination of the thoughts.
If you seek Him
[inquiring for and of Him
and requiring Him as your first and vital necessity]
He will let you find Him;
but if you abandon (turn away from) Him,
He will reject you forever.
Matthew 16:24 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Then Jesus said to His disciples,
“If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple],
he must deny himself
[set aside selfish interests],
and take up his cross
[expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come]
and follow Me
[believing in Me, conforming to My example in living
and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].
Are you truly “following” Jesus? One could read that verse this way, to see the point He was making:
“Then Jesus said…
“If anyone wishes to follow Me…
he must…follow Me.”
The truly repentant will actually follow Jesus. Are you truly repentant, or have you remained the same? Is “practicing sin” your normal?
Jesus said,
Luke 10:27 …“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
He did not say –
1. Come to Me however you want to come.
2. Any way of belief is fine with Me: It’s all good!
3. All faiths are good enough for me.
4. Just have faith and it will work-out fine in the end.
5. Just say the words, and that will save you.
Salvation is an “all or nothing”
faith in — and following of Christ
and His example of living.
Are you truly saved?
Your life will surely show it.
Source: Being faithful, little by little
James 1: verse 22
22 But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth].
As believers in Christ, followers of Him, our whole outlook on life sees the hectic chaos of the world in these end times – and we say with Peter: Since all this stuff is only temporary and will soon disappear anyway, I want to be the sort of person that lives my life — the way God wants me to live. My focus is going to be on eternity with God. I am going to be diligent to live His Way — so that when I stand before the King of Kings, He will see me totally covered by His forgiveness, “in peace, spotless and blameless“. Peter said:
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way,
what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness….14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things,
be diligent
to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,– 2 Peter 3:11-18 – verses 11 and 14
What sort of person are you? Are you being diligent to be the sort that God wants?
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