JUST BECAUSE ...

I’ve had the privilege of talking to many people over the past few years, who all claim to be Christians. Great, but the problem I encounter with them is the mindset they each had about God’s grace. They were each living comfortably in sin, and they each had the same argument: “God is love and is a forgiving God.”

WRONG!

Do you have the same mentality as these individuals? The fact about God being loving and forgiving is accurate. If He didn’t have those attributes, there would be no hope for this world! But the assumption that one could live in sin just because God will forgive is very unbiblical, The Bible has a lot to say about Christians and sin.

First, God says, “You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44 NLT). I don’t see where seeking to be holy equates to living comfortably in sin. Second, the apostle Paul addresses the ‘Just because’ attitude by asking the Romans, “Should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?” And then he categorically denounced that way of thinking by adding, “Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2 NLT).

To further prevent the ‘just because’ way of thinking, the Scripture makes it very clear in Hebrews: “If we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins” (Hebrews 10:26 NLT). Are you deliberately sinning, with the attitude that God will forgive you? Well, please don’t, because there are no exception clauses in God’s Word regarding sin. The commandments apply to everybody equally! If I can’t do something, you can’t either, and vice versa.

The next verse will help us examine ourselves to see if we are really children of God as we claim: “We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son {Jesus} holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them” (1 John 5:18). Are you a child of God? Are you living in obedience? If you answer ‘yes’ to the first question while living in sin, then you need to re-examine your claim! If you decide you are really a child of God, then you need to repent and seek forgiveness, and start living as you should. God will enable you to do that if you are sincere in your repentance.

On the other hand, you might be claiming you are a Christian because you grew up in church, and assume going to church makes one a child of God. Let me help you get things straight. We are all born with a sin nature, which makes us sin. We have a sin nature because we are descendants of Adam and Eve, who disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. As a result of that sin, a separation was created between God and man. The Bible settles that fact by saying: “Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glory” (Romans 3:23 NLT), and then  goes on to tell us what payment (penalty) we get for our sins: “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NLT). The death mentioned here is the eternal separation from God after this life. In order for our sins to be forgiven, and our relationship with God to be restored, God sent Jesus, His Son, into the world to take on the penalty of our sins. When He was on earth, Jesus said: “My purpose is to give them {the sheep-sinners} a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT).  

Now that you understand your condition and the penalty, you’ll need to repent. Call on Jesus, and tell Him yes, you’re a sinner; ask for his forgiveness, and to make you His child. He will, and then come and live in your heart through the Holy Spirit! His Spirit transforms your life; you become a new creature: “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT). Please don’t postpone doing this, because tomorrow could be too late. Today is your day: take advantage of it and have the assurance that God is indeed your Father, and you have eternal life with Him in heaven after this life (see 1 John 5:13).

Your new relationship with God through Jesus will need to move forward through ongoing communication. God will speak to you through the Bible (you need to read it every day and obey it), and you need to communicate with Him through prayer. For further help or questions, visit: pearlkumi.com and leave me a message. God bless you!