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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Resolution, continued
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21—NIV)
"Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
Paul said in the Book of Galatians that if we Christians continue to sin we will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
He stated also that if we live in the flesh rather than in the Spirit of God we will reap corruption instead of eternal life.
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7,8—NIV)
I could go on and on from the Book of Hebrews, from First John, from James, demonstrating that the New Testament has much more to say about our behavior than about Divine grace. When grace does not bring about righteous behavior it has been perverted. It has been rendered useless.
For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. (Jude 1:4—NIV)
Today's Evangelical message has embraced one side of the faith-works team and despised the other. Upon this unscriptural foundation has been built a superstructure of error that has us going to Paradise to live forever in a mansion on the basis of a profession of belief in Christ. What a travesty of the Scriptures, of the Christian salvation!
God is calling today for repentance, for a change in our behavior. If we continue to present grace as a ticket to Heaven without regard to our behavior, then Christian people are not going to repent. Why should they? If they are going to go to Heaven anyway, whether or not they repent, why should they turn away from the attractions found in the United States—the professional sports, the entertainment, the technological advances, the pursuit of money? Why should they turn away from these and present their body a living sacrifice if it is not absolutely necessary.
In fact some preachers are teaching that any effort we make to live righteously is legalism, an affront to the perfect redemption we have through Jesus Christ. Isn't that a neat way to get around Jesus, Paul, James, John, and Jude?
Others are claiming we must wait until Jesus causes us to live righteously. This may sound right but it doesn't work. You have to do what the Bible says while still in your adamic nature if you expect the Life of Christ to be formed in you to the extent you finally will be able to do good by nature. Read the writings of Paul and see the numerous commandments you are to observe now, not wait for Christ to do it for you. You have to pray and make your adamic nature serve God. As Paul said, you have to keep your body under your control!
To be continued.