Pray for understanding in the church. We know that hypocrisy has taken a hold of the heart when it cries against any requirement God makes of us saying in this world, "Religion is only works, don't judge me" yet hopes to stand before God on the day of judgement and say, "But I did so many GOOD things, judge me only by that". Good works won't earn us a seat on the bus to heaven, Jesus has paid for that ticket, but not allowing the Holy Spirit (which is Christ Jesus dwelling within - Galatians 4:6) to change us will be the measuring stick by which God Judges. (Luke 12:10) That verse in Luke is not about us slipping up and saying a bad word with God's name in it, neither is Exodus 20:7. It is about resisting the work of God inside of us. It would be like getting on and off of the bus (the Holy Spirit being that transportation) and never arriving to this new creation God has made for us; (Ephesians 2:10) never putting on the new man God is working to create in us. (Ephesians 4:24) We may call obedience or the life of a new man just religion if it makes it easier to sleep with sin at night or helps us put off what we know we should be doing (turning), but it does not make us any less accountable for the sins we knowingly keep. The wages of sin will always be death. Christ did not die to change the wage, He died to give us power over it; that supernatural ability not to be enslaved to work for as such a cruel master as sin. Christ has given us power over sin. How awful to still be a slave to something that has no power over us. Christians do not have to sin. We may sin as we work out our salvation, but to sit and knowingly continue to sin after Christ has made us free? God forbid it! We are more than this. ( 2 Cor 5:17) If anyone be in Christ He is a new creature, old things have passed away, ALL things have been made new. That isn't religion, that IS a relationship with Jesus Christ. We either accept Christ and ALL HE REQUIRES or we reject Him, we can't just keep Him in our back pockets, like a fire insurance card. He's not the husband with boyfriends on the side or worse, the boyfriend on the side! WE should not judge one another into condemnation. God deals with each person according to where they are, however when it becomes apparent that we are in sin, we better judge ourselves so God will not have to. (2 Cor 13:5) And when a brother is willfully sinning we are commanded by God to go to him to help bring him back. A relationship with Christ is faith with works because FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD. (James 2:14-26) That isn't earning salvation, you can't earn it no matter how hard you try. Faith with works is simply WORKING OUT our salvation before the Lord. It's both receiving it and putting it on. Praise God sin does not have power over us, We HAVE POWER OVER SIN. God expects us to use the power (our Helper, the Holy Spirit) living in us to put sin away from us. "Be holy as your Father in heaven is Holy." Matthew 5:48. It's not religion, it's God's Word. It's the sign of the Lord alive inside of us. Put on the wedding garment. We are closer today than we have ever been. Those who don't like messages like this are simply not living right. Pray for understanding in the church. Pray for a turning of those who have been confused back to God in holiness. Let the living sacrifice stay on the altar.
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