The Lifestyle Of The Believer – Paul Chappell
Amen – very well said! From this morning’s “Daily in the Word”…
Tuesday, Oct 20, 2015
“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.”
1 John 3:4–6
We do not get saved by reforming or stopping our sinning. We get saved by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ. He does all the saving; we just do the trusting.
Likewise, we do not stay saved by not sinning. Our continuing salvation is also a work of God’s grace, and the Bible clearly teaches that those who are saved can never be lost. Jesus said, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). This is called the doctrine of eternal security.
Eternal security, however, is not a license for us to live however we please. It is said that a man who did not believe this doctrine said to Charles Spurgeon, “If I believed what you believe about eternal security, I would sin all that I want to.” Spurgeon replied, “I sin more than I want to.” A Christian, a child of God, a man or woman with the Holy Spirit living within should never want to sin. We will never be perfect, but we should not be habitually, continually living in sin.
If we are willing to continue living in sin and feel no remorse or correction from our Heavenly Father, it is a serious indication that something is wrong. While Christians can and do commit all kinds of sin, when sin is reigning in our hearts, it indicates that Jesus is not. Going to church regularly and being able to use all the right words about faith does not mean that we are truly saved. A Christian’s life is meant to give evidence of salvation in action. We don’t do right to become saved or to stay saved, but because we are saved.
Today’s Growth Principle:
If our conduct and our profession do not match, something is very wrong in our spiritual life.