“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. ” (Romans 12:1, NIV) We are called to live in holiness. Without holiness we cannot see God. The grace of Jesus covers and forgives our sin. However, the calling of Jesus is to a new life. Many times Jesus healed and restored and then said “Go and sin no more”. To be holy is to be set aside for the use and the purpose of God. Our lives are no longer are own. “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. ” (1 Corinthians 6:20, NIV)
There are things that we must put to death. Sometimes we ask God to help us with our anger or our lusts. We ask God to take it away. However, God’s answer is that He gives us the strength to make a choice. The reality is that we must put these things to death. “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.” (Colossians 3:5–9, NIV)
You must make a decision that you want those things to end in your life. Are you angry about how you have been treated by another person? Have you lied to make yourself look better or to justify yourself? Have you spoken badly about other people? These things all reflect places in our lives where we must take the sword of the Word of God and cut deeply. We choose how we will respond. We choose to respond by our emotions or we choose to obey the Word of God. We choose death or we choose life.
Cheap grace receives the forgiveness of Christ but refuses to live for Christ. Cheap grace lives a lie. Cheap grace is not an option. Cheap grace leads to death. True Christianity will allow God to examine every part of our lives. When sin is found we repent and turn from it. Holiness is never an option. It is a requirement of living in the Kingdom. Repentance leads to life.
True Grace empowers us to live Holy. The outcome of the grace of God in our lives is transformation. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ” (Colossians 3:12–18, NIV84)
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