If we are saved only by grace, through faith, on the grounds that Jesus Christ is our righteousness and we know that we are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God - is there any reason why we should still be concerned with right and wrong? If I know I go to heaven in spite of not being perfect and that I will not be perfect in this life, why strive for perfection and holiness and obedience to God?
Let me share five reasons why.
1. We submit to Jesus because we acknowledge that he rules the world (Eph 1:22-23). He is in control of every thing. Our future is not determined by chance or other human beings, but by God’s. will. There can be nothing more foolish than to ignore his will. There can be no wiser choice than to seek his will.
2. Jesus is the one who will judge the world (Acts 17:31). On the last day nobody will escape God’s judgment. He will hold us accountable for every action. (1Cor 4:5). It will be based on truth and without prejudice. So even if we experience injustice, Christians entrust themselves to God’s perfect justice which will be fully made known on the last day (Rom 1:5-6; 12:19). We seek obedience to God’s Word in our lives, because nothing else makes sense and can be absolutely trusted.
3. We obey God because he loves us. (John 3:16). We love him because he first loved us, dying for our sins, so that we are forgiven and became reconciled with him. There is no greater love than this ‘that a man lay down his life for his friends’. And that is exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross. Such love compels us to seek his will and to not disappoint him or bring his Name in disrepute by our choices.
4. We are called to live out our identity as God’s people. We have a calling and a mandate to proclaim God’s justice, righteousness and holiness. ‘For you are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God that you may sing the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light’ (1Pet 2:9). We are called to make a difference in God’s Name in this world and be the salt and the light that transform communities. We are called to be an example of God’s Kingdom that is coming and to bear witness of its glory by the way we live. .
5. We know that God knows better. We seek to practice his wisdom and to live his life, because it brings true joy in our lives and in the lives of the people whose lives we have an influence on. There is no greater joy than to love, worship and praise God and there is no higher quality of life than to bring into practice our gratefulness for his grace, his sacrifice, his victory and his forgiveness. We want to be restored into the person God wants us to be, because that person is the truly happy and satisfied one. The person who I am in Christ is the man or woman with a purpose that goes beyond this life. (1Pet 1:11-12).
God’s forgiveness and his mercy give us the assurance and hope we need as people living in a crying, dying, lost world. We are committed to show the light of heaven on this dark earth and to show true joy to every empty vessel on its way to eternal death without God. We live God’s will, as much as we are able to, in eager expectation of the perfect glory that will only be revealed when Jesus comes again. (Tit 2:13).
May our Lord bless you with the wealth of his mercy and grace.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment