November 2, 2024 BEING COUNTED WORTHY
2 Thessalonians 1:10-12 “when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed-for our testimony to you was believed. To this end also we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power; in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
I think among many, there is a misunderstanding of an important, foundational doctrine of the gospel. This misunderstanding is that of grace and works. It is crystal clear in the scriptures that one is saved by grace alone, not by works. Man cannot on His own come to know God as Savior; salvation is an act of God drawing a lost person to Himself. It is also crystal clear in scripture that we are to be about good works-not in order to be saved or to gain Gods approval-but because we are saved. We have been joined to God-and God is righteous and God is good-and just as He is righteous and good, so are we to be the same. He has put a new nature in us-His nature. Let me say at this point; this does not mean that we are perfect and never sin; but it does mean that if and when we sin, the Holy Spirit prompts us to confess it and turn from it-and we do. As believers and as believers who are growing in the faith, sin should not be a normal part of our life; as we grow in the Lord, we should sin less and less. It’s another subject, but when we walk according to the Spirit, we will not fulfill the desire of the flesh and sin. The crux of this blog is that we must know and we must live with the keen awareness that God is a righteous God; God has no part with sin. It is no small issue for us to be joined to God and made one with Him-that has huge implications for us. We are joined to Him only because He has forgiven us through the death and resurrection of Jesus. God instructs us to be holy because He is holy-wow! I say again, this is not saying that we reach a ‘sinless state’ where we never sin. But at the same time, it is true that God has broken the power of sin over us; when we sin, we do so by choice. We can say no to sin and yes to God and we can live in communion and fellowship with God with a clear conscience. We are free not to sin! The big lie and the false impression that many believers live with is that they perceive themselves as having a sin nature that is alive and active and because of that, they often sin. That viewpoint is possibly a sub-conscious excuse for sin-like they just cannot help but sin and fall short often. In some respect, it’s a sobering realization to understand that we have been set free from the power of sin, and that if we sin, it is our choice to do so. Again, God has made provision for when a believer sins-He forgives. But hear this: it is the norm for a believer not to sin! When a child of God sins, it is out of character. There is a great need for believers to understand their true identity as sons and daughters of God. In closing; because we are in Christ, we are to live righteous lives and are to be about works of righteousness and good works BECAUSE our Farther is righteous and holy. In my last blog, we saw that God will judge unrighteousness even in the life of a believer. So, let us live in the freedom we have in Christ-which includes the freedom not to sin. Here is more good news: we can walk worthy of His calling and we can be about the good works He has prepared for us!
Romans 6:12,8:2 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its list,” “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”
1 Peter 2:24 “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.”
Blessings, Buddy
2 Thessalonians 1:10-12 “when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed-for our testimony to you was believed. To this end also we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power; in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
I think among many, there is a misunderstanding of an important, foundational doctrine of the gospel. This misunderstanding is that of grace and works. It is crystal clear in the scriptures that one is saved by grace alone, not by works. Man cannot on His own come to know God as Savior; salvation is an act of God drawing a lost person to Himself. It is also crystal clear in scripture that we are to be about good works-not in order to be saved or to gain Gods approval-but because we are saved. We have been joined to God-and God is righteous and God is good-and just as He is righteous and good, so are we to be the same. He has put a new nature in us-His nature. Let me say at this point; this does not mean that we are perfect and never sin; but it does mean that if and when we sin, the Holy Spirit prompts us to confess it and turn from it-and we do. As believers and as believers who are growing in the faith, sin should not be a normal part of our life; as we grow in the Lord, we should sin less and less. It’s another subject, but when we walk according to the Spirit, we will not fulfill the desire of the flesh and sin. The crux of this blog is that we must know and we must live with the keen awareness that God is a righteous God; God has no part with sin. It is no small issue for us to be joined to God and made one with Him-that has huge implications for us. We are joined to Him only because He has forgiven us through the death and resurrection of Jesus. God instructs us to be holy because He is holy-wow! I say again, this is not saying that we reach a ‘sinless state’ where we never sin. But at the same time, it is true that God has broken the power of sin over us; when we sin, we do so by choice. We can say no to sin and yes to God and we can live in communion and fellowship with God with a clear conscience. We are free not to sin! The big lie and the false impression that many believers live with is that they perceive themselves as having a sin nature that is alive and active and because of that, they often sin. That viewpoint is possibly a sub-conscious excuse for sin-like they just cannot help but sin and fall short often. In some respect, it’s a sobering realization to understand that we have been set free from the power of sin, and that if we sin, it is our choice to do so. Again, God has made provision for when a believer sins-He forgives. But hear this: it is the norm for a believer not to sin! When a child of God sins, it is out of character. There is a great need for believers to understand their true identity as sons and daughters of God. In closing; because we are in Christ, we are to live righteous lives and are to be about works of righteousness and good works BECAUSE our Farther is righteous and holy. In my last blog, we saw that God will judge unrighteousness even in the life of a believer. So, let us live in the freedom we have in Christ-which includes the freedom not to sin. Here is more good news: we can walk worthy of His calling and we can be about the good works He has prepared for us!
Romans 6:12,8:2 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its list,” “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”
1 Peter 2:24 “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.”
Blessings, Buddy
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