This is the final Sunday in the Lenten season. I trust that you are taking the time to reflect on your sin as we approach Good Friday. Many believers are content to be forgiven of their sin without really making any effort to eradicate sin from their lives. The gospel has freed us from the penalty of sin but it has also freed us from the power of sin. The point is not simply that I escape hell someday but also that I am freed from sin’s slavery now! God supplies us with plenty of motivation to live a godly life:
- It is right (Eph. 6:1).
- It is for your good (Deut. 12:28).
- It gives you assurance of your salvation (2 Pet. 1:10).
- It will help you be effective as a Christian (2 Pet. 1:8).
- It allows you to win over your neighbors to the gospel (1 Pet. 2:12).
- It allows your prayers to be heard by God (1 Pet. 3:7).
- It allows you to join with the faithful down through the ages who have held true to the faith (Heb. 12:1).
- It is an appropriate response of gratitude for what God has done for you (Rom. 12:1).
- It brings glory to God (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
- It allows you to avoid the devil’s trap (Eph. 4:26-27).
- It produces an eternal reward (1 Tim. 6:18-19).
- It will result in a life of joy (Jn. 15:10-11).
We don’t pursue a godly life in order to merit acceptance by God. But we are called upon to live a godly life. My prayer is that we take sin seriously and that we embrace our calling and commit ourselves to pursuing holiness.
Pastor Jeff
Image by Jenn Durfey
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