When you have no attention given to God, you will have no appetite for God. And when you have no appetite for God you develop alternative addictions - Vlad Savchuk
We need to understand, that the reason why we as followers of Christ want to live a life of purity and righteousness is not that others can praise us, but to be true ambassadors for Christ. When we believe that Jesus is our Lord and savior we serve Him not out of religion, but rather out of a relationship. He is the perfect example of what it means to be a follower of Christ. There are no in-between friends, it's rather all in or not. Being lukewarm (Revelation 3:15) and following rules that you made by your flesh, not His Spirit, puts you in a position where you do not fully understand who the Father is and that He is worthy to be praised in every aspect of your life.
We compromise so easily on certain things in His Word. We will do good deeds and give to the poor, but loving my co-worker and praying for their salvation, is too much to ask? Leaving everything that the flesh desires and following in His footsteps seem too big of a commitment for us. Remember that we were born into sin, we were born in flesh, and so flesh desires things that the world can give it. But the flesh is temporary and we need deliverance from it.
When we surrender our lives to Jesus, the Word says that we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). How is that possible? I'm glad you asked because Nicodemus asked Jesus the same question (John 3). When we are "born again", we are born through His Spirit, and Spirit is eternal because it is Jesus! So when we become one with Jesus through His Spirit, we will understand that the desires of this world are temporary and cannot satisfy us. Of course, we will still face troubles and tribulations in this world, because we are still living in a fallen world (Ephesians 6:12), but we know that He has already overcome the world.
And everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!
John 16:33 (TPT)
When you represent a name brand, there are certain rules and regulations that you must comply with. Those terms and conditions aren't there to box you in or harm you, but rather to make you understand that there is value in the product. When you claim that you represent the name brand, the company would like you to understand that by stating that, you also believe and stand for everything that they do. Unlike the name brand, the Gospel of Christ isn't a product that we are selling to other people. It is a choice between eternity or death. Through sharing Christ with others and living according to His example, people are becoming aware of what they have been blind to all along. How can a blind man know that he is blind if no one tells him about life without blindness? Living in sin makes us blind to a life of freedom and eternity with Jesus. To be honest, I feel like Paul stating this (2 Corinthians 7:8), but in the same breath, I do not regret it, because we as believers need to understand what it means to follow Jesus with all our heart. When we study His Word, we also become aware of areas in our lives where we are blind to the truth.
Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.
2 Corinthians 7:8 (NIV)
Timothy 4:12 says, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity."
Notice how it says that we have to set an example for "the believers". Not only are unbelievers looking at the way we are living our lives, but we also need to be an example for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
This should be exciting friends, knowing that the King and Lord of all called us to follow Him and to be in a personal intimate relationship with Him. It is too much to hold for ourselves. It's time to share, It's time to be His hands and feet.
Therefore, since we have these [great and wonderful] promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, completing holiness [living a consecrated life—a life set apart for God’s purpose] in the fear of God.
2 Corinthians 7:1 (AMP)
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