What has changed?
“Live in such a way that it requires a Jesus explanation for why you do (live that way).”
Does that make you stop and think? There are people who don’t believe in Jesus but attend church, offer help and serve others in need, give to charities, read the Bible, and in general are very nice moral people. None of those things requires a Jesus explanation. Simply doing good things doesn’t mean we know Jesus.
So what requires a Jesus explanation for the way you live? This is at the heart of 2 Corinthians 5:17: “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.” What, then, has changed? What has become new in your life since coming to faith in Christ? Once again, what in your life requires a Jesus explanation for the way you live your life? I will be excited to hear and read your answers.
Pressing On…
Ron Tipton, Senior Pastor
What requires a Jesus answer for the way you live your life? As pastor said, many people are able and do good things for others which does not make you a Christian? I think the scripture, and little song by the way, in Colossians 3:1-3 says it best. “If you then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above not on things of the earth. For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.” When Christ died on the cross, we who live and serve Him became part of Him. When He arose from the dead we became part of that. His blood covered and continues to cover all sin. One of the many things that makes us different is that when we are tempted with sin we really want God to help us escape it. Then we look for a way of escape. Jesus was tempted and he knew the way of escape was in God. His blood was shed for all sin, past present and future and we can call on that as our way of escape. You can call on His shed blood. He will and does deliver us. If you confess Jesus as your Savior and you want to find pleasure in sin (for a season) you must examine your heart. You will still tempted but you truly will not want to commit sin as a way of life. It may take several times but He does deliver us. That’s one very big difference is that you truly do not want to dishonor Christ by willfully committing sin. “For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Death, burial, and resurrection are how we are risen with Christ and the desire to seek those things which are above is one change that shows we are Christians. For we are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God. Temptation does come but my desire to not dishonor Christ and my witness as a child of God is there and calling on His shed blood is the way of escape. This revelation did not come over night, it was many years. I wish it had, but to make sure no pride is involved on my part, it took years. God is faithful to His own. That is one way that requires a Jesus answer for the way you live your life as it requires the shed blood of Jesus to deliver us from temptation.