"And now, children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. Then we'll be ready for him when he appears, ready to receive him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when he arrives."
~ 1 John 2:28 (The King James Bible)
Being a christian is awesome. Thinking of all the benefits and security we gain when we are christian brings so much peace and comfort. When trouble comes we call on Him. When we feel low, we call on him. I couldn't imagine my life without Christ. I probably would lose my mind. Sometimes I do find it hard to resist temptations but I can honestly say, if I love God enough I won't want to indulge in sin. Though I may fall, indulging in sin will not be a part of my lifestyle. That way I give no room for guilt to set in.
"I wanna be right" is a saying among Christians in the church. It simply means that I want to live according to Gods standards. It's us living to please God. Having a life that is dedicated to being in right standing with God is where your security lies. When we're faced with trouble we can run to Him with no hesitation. It strengthens our faith and it also gives us confidence in our relationship with God. We are not saved by works. When we, individually, do our part and what is required of us, we will be guilt free. We should not allow guilt for falling into sin delay our blessings. We should know that we are secure in our relationship with Him at all times. That can happen by repentance after sinning but having a guilt free spirit will speed up your progress in Him. Living Holy not only sanctifies us but it frees our conscience to go before God boldly and ask all that we need and want without guilt, shame, or wondering if He hears us. It also frees us to recieve from the Lord.
The devil is an expert at making us feel really bad and unlovable when we have done something that is not in line with righteousness. But guess what? It's not only the devil that makes us feel like we're not wanted by God after sinning. We are hard on ourselves as well; even way after we've asked for forgiveness and turned back to God. When we repent and turn from that sin that we fell for, God hears us. The moment we say Lord, forgive me He says...DONE! The bible tells us. It says that He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, if we confess (1John 1:9). It is good to have this understanding but at the same time it is even better to have a lifestyle that is pleasing to the Lord. I can't stress enough about rightful living being the root of confidence that will allow us to recieve quickly from God. Being faithful to God pays off greatly and allows you to be a friend of God with no reserve.
I love the story about King Hezekiah. I won't go into it a whole lot but if you read about King Hezekiah's life (Isaiah 38:2-8), he needed a deliverance so he reminded God of his faithfulness to Him in "living right" and God granted his request. Can you imagine what kind of mental readjusting he would have had to do just to believe he got a prayer through to God if he wasn't in right standing with Him? Understand, what helps us in our faith is "living right". This allows our conscience to be clear to fully accept blessings and answered prayers from the Lord because from doing so we have given the devil and ourselves nothing to work with.
Yes, it's inevitable. We will fall sometimes but let's not let that fall turn into an avalanche. If we do we will feel like there is no hope and our faith will dwindle. Be holy for He is holy. You can do it! We can do it! It may get hard sometimes but it's doable. If it weren't Jesus wouldn't have told us we could do it.
Let's pray...
Lord in Jesus name, Thank you for your son Jesus that took away our sins with His pure blood. We acknowledge this but we need to be in good standing with you so that we can feel secure. Our confidence in our relationship with you is so important. We don't want to feel out of the loop with you. Please strengthen us and make us whole, those of us that have been broken by giving in to sin. We thank you. In Jesus name...Amen.
~ Royalbutterfli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bacXQPujfKI
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