Day 113 "As A Christian, Live As You Were Already Made Holy"

Did you know that in 2017, $ 30 billions dollars was spent on fitness and health clubs in the United States? Although it is a great idea to be in good shape for health reasons, many people are consumed with the notion that their popularity and acceptance is embedded in how they look to others. "No pain, no gain" is a phrase you will often hear as muscles are built through the resistance of movement. But what if, what if someone came along and tapped you on the back and you were instantly made healthy and buff? I mean, completely 100 percent made exactly the way you have always wanted to become with almost no body fat- not one iota of this instant transformation was credited to your efforts. How would you then live your life? No doubt it would take some time to mentally adjust to the fact that you are really this new person. Then, most likely, you would seek to continue to live a lifestyle depicting and emulating this new body that was given to you. Would you be a little grateful? We could only wish it would be a easy as tapping us on our back, right?

Well, what would you say if someone suddenly made you instantly holy and righteous before God, all the wrongs you ever committed and would ever commit were completely pardoned, and forgotten, and none of this had anything to do with any effort, whatsoever, on our part? How would you react? How would you go on to live out the rest your life? Here, unlike the previous fantasy of instantly changing our physical body, the changing of our moral and spiritual condition has, indeed, really taken place through Jesus Christ! By faith, we've instantly become a child of God, been reconciled in our relationship with him, completely forgiven and made holy in his sight. That is what the Bible tells us!

"He set aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Hebrews 10:10

"He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code (the spiritual laws), with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross." Colossians 2:13-14

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God-so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those in Christ." Romans 8:1

Spiritually, through Christ, we have instantly, in the blinking of an eye, become holy and completely righteous- one hundred percent! No, there is nothing missing or lacking! There isn't anything that we need to add or fear not taking away. My pastor, Alan Wright, said it well, "Jesus plus anything adds an unlimited amount of fear and anxiety into our lives." You substitute whatever word you want to replace the word "anything" in that previous sen- tence. Can you see it? If Jesus makes you holy, what can make you unholy? The only thing that stand in our way is our faith and what we truly believe. Look around you in the churches today. We continue to work out our faith, motivated by the belief that our actions will sway God to favor us more or prevent him from withholding his blessing upon us. We feel compelled to act in certain manner to please God. We feel it is our duty, therefore, to workout our salvation, to strive to become holy just as God is holy. How foolish it is to apply the work and performance mentality of this world to our relationship with God, especially if everything has already been done by Christ. To do so, completely nulls and voids God's grace, his unmerited favor through Christ.

"For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law." Romans 3:28

"But now, a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God come through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." Romans 3:21-22

Jesus did it all! If you don't believe that, you will live out the rest of your life under a works mentality and not under on of grace. You will feel the need to earn rather than enjoying the gift of what has already been done for you. You will miss out on living your life in gratitude rather than in strife. You will live as a slave seeking to justify rather than as an heir whose rights were given by your birth (your spiritual rebirth). You will live your life in fear and anxiety worrying about if what you have done will ever be enough to please God and justify yourself before him.

But, when you come to live in this freedom that Jesus purchased with his shed blood, the fear and anxiety dissipate and love and peace find a resting place in your soul. Your heart and mindset begin a transformation to become like God's. Not because you have to, but because you will want to. This is God's desire for your life. Not to live a life of worry, striving and strife. But to live a life of love and acceptance.

"Perfect love casts out all fear." 1 John 4:18

"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19

As a Christian, then, live out your life as one who has been made fully holy and acceptable to God, because you are! God loves us despite who we are and what we have done. That, my friend, is grace!

If you feel that you remain under the bondage of sin, then may I suggest these few things to set your spirit free. First, realize that in Christ, you are already sinless in God's sight-and his sight is the only one that matters. Secondly, in Christ, since we have been fully pardon, there remains no future condemnation. It is completely gone! Love has taken its place. Thirdly, act in a way that resemble your identity. You are a child of God. Does that make any difference to you how you reflect God with your life?

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We have a great message to share with a hurting world. A message of God's unconditional love.

"that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:19

In Christ, God has already set you free!

In his love, see you tomorrow...

"Carpe Momentum in Love (Seize the moment in love)