Previously we talked about God’s grace and the promise that through God’s grace we are saved by faith not by the things we do. It is what Christ did for us, taking our sins and paying for them by nailing them to the cross. So does that mean if we accept God’s grace and trust in Jesus that we could do whatever we want? I would say yes and no. Yes, we are free. But, we are free from sin and if you have truly accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, you are changed. You are a new creation. Your old self has died and you now live for Him. Your desire should be aligned with God. You no longer want to do the sinful acts of your previous self. The Holy Spirit will live in you and will guide you. Now you can live by the Spirit and not by your flesh. If you do not see these changes, if your desires remain the same, you have to question the sincerity of your acceptance of God’s grace. You need to be reconciled to Him. It does not mean that you will never sin or your flesh will never creep in and tempt you. It will. There will be a battle. But remember that you are victorious because of the blood of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:15-6:2
…and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we
have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
In other words do not abuse grace. If you think or say, “now I am saved, I can do what I want,” you have to step back and question your salvation. As a believer, knowing the sacrifice Christ made for you, having the Spirit in you, your desire will be to live for Him. Allow God to work in you. He will continue to work in your life. You are and ambassador for Christ. You now represent Him. You are a testimony of the good things that God does. Share it. Show it.
Romans 6:1-23
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are
that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And what a great gift that is! Jesus died so that we may be freed from sin. Do not go back to that. Live for Jesus Christ. Let others see that grace that He has given you. Your old life has been buried. Leave it in the ground. Do not let sin bring up its ugly head again. God will help you through those struggles. Enjoy that freshness and newness of life.
Galatians 2:17-21
“But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
Romans 8:12-17
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors — not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
As a believer, as one who follows Christ, we have that promise that if we believe in Him, we will have eternal life. He promises us that He will adopt us as children of God. We can call him, “Abba”, or ‘daddy.” That is something no one can ever take away from us. Thank you Jesus!
My Daily Scriptures 