Slaves of God
We don't like the word "slave." It has bad connotations from history, and it is definitely wrong for people to enslave other people. However, we are all slaves of something or someone. Before salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we are all slaves of sin. After salvation, we are slaves of God.(Romans 6:22) He bought us with the price of the blood of Jesus, and we belong to Him. Now, He is Lord of our lives, so we obey Him, and He produces the fruit of holiness in us while we live here on earth. Then, when we die we go to live forever with Him in heaven. That is Christianity in a nutshell.
If you are still a slave of sin, you are not a Christian. Read Romans 6. Once our old self dies, the Holy Spirit transforms us into a new person. We become slaves to God. We are to present ourselves, our bodies, minds, and wills to Him, so that we can work righteousness, instead of sin. This is holiness, being separated from sin and doing what is right instead. This makes us different from everyone who has not been saved. All of this is part of eternal life, which starts when we trust Christ. It is a different quality of life, not just long life.
If you do not have the fruit of holiness in your life, you are not a Christian. God determined before you were saved that when you trusted Christ, He would shape you to be like Jesus.(Romans 8:29, Ephesians 2:10) It is a process, but it begins at salvation, when the Spirit comes into us. Holiness is the sure evidence that we have eternal life in Christ. It is also what makes us effective witnesses for Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Romans 7-9.
If you are still a slave of sin, you are not a Christian. Read Romans 6. Once our old self dies, the Holy Spirit transforms us into a new person. We become slaves to God. We are to present ourselves, our bodies, minds, and wills to Him, so that we can work righteousness, instead of sin. This is holiness, being separated from sin and doing what is right instead. This makes us different from everyone who has not been saved. All of this is part of eternal life, which starts when we trust Christ. It is a different quality of life, not just long life.
If you do not have the fruit of holiness in your life, you are not a Christian. God determined before you were saved that when you trusted Christ, He would shape you to be like Jesus.(Romans 8:29, Ephesians 2:10) It is a process, but it begins at salvation, when the Spirit comes into us. Holiness is the sure evidence that we have eternal life in Christ. It is also what makes us effective witnesses for Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Romans 7-9.