Have you ever noticed how many people proclaim their faith as being Christian, yet they live their lives in stark contrast to the words of Jesus? Is it troubling to anyone when Jesus states that MANY will stand before him proclaiming they are Christians; but in his response, Jesus will proclaim that he never knew them? Does that concern you? Yet, there are many who carry around their “Get out of Hell Free” card called Jesus, while their lives demonstrate that they are more likely following a different master that aligns to Satan's kingdom than God's. Many are blinded in their own delusion. After all, they have their "Born Again" card that they earned by parroting a quick prayer. Yet, their lives are unchanged from the world around them...
Consider carefully what the Apostle John and Paul says about this topic of living for Jesus. I have taken excerpts from John 15; 1 John 3; and Romans 6 to illustrate this. I pray that the truth of this message will be a catalyst to the awakening of your eternal soul for a greater service unto the Lord. Hebrews 9:27 is very clear. “It is appointed for man to die once, then comes the judgment”. It is my prayer that when your soul stands before the living God, he will say “Welcome thy good and faithful servant” and not the alternative.
1 John 3:4-10 (Amplified)
4 Everyone who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness; for [that is what] sin is, lawlessness (the breaking, violating of God’s law by transgression or neglect—being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will).
Furthermore, the “wages of sin is death”, according to (Romans 6:23)
5 You know that He appeared in visible form and became Man to take away [upon Himself] sins, and in Him there is no sin [essentially and forever].
(John 1:1-4;14).
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
14 The Word became flesh [Jesus] and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
6 NO ONE who abides in Him [who lives and remains in communion with and in obedience to Him—deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] commits (practices) sin. NO ONE who [habitually] sins has either seen or known Him [recognized, perceived, or understood Him, or has had an experiential acquaintance with Him].
(John 15:5-8). 5“I am the vine [Jesus]; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish [for your thoughts will be like my thoughts], and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples
7 Dear Children, let no one deceive and lead you astray. He who practices righteousness [who is upright, conforming to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action, living a consistently conscientious life -- {this is the person who is abiding in the vine as stated in John 15- see below}] is righteous , even as He is righteous.
(John 15:6-14) 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves to sin — 7 because anyone who has died [and resurrected in Christ’s death] has been set free from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God ( AS SHOULD WE).
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Slaves to Righteousness
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By NO MEANS ! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey —whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
8 [But] he who commits sin [who practices evildoing] is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one], for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to destroy the works the devil [has done].
9 No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God’s nature abides in him [His principle of life]; and he cannot [habitually] practice sinning because he is BORN (begotten) of God.
[The following is the Critical Point of emphasis to the aforementioned passages, which need to be considered carefully and prayerfully as a matter of self-assessment. Verse 10 is a wake-up call for those who label themselves as Christians and yet continue play the “Get out of Hell Card” as a way of life. You cannot have it both ways. You either belong to the Lord of to the Devil. There is no middle ground.]
10 By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ).
Also check out Article: Sin is Sin
