An Important Note To Students And Teachers
One of the critical struggles for Christians in the 21st Century is determining God's balance between (a) personal responsibility/accountability as one seeks salvation and (b) personal joy produced by confidence in God's promises. Some Christians live their lives under an overpowering sense of guilt as they (a) are discouraged by a sense of unworthiness or (b) are deeply frustrated by their human attempts to 'earn salvation.' God does not want the person who allows Jesus Christ to rule his or her life to exist in this sense of guilt! The objective of salvation is to destroy guilt!
Some Christians live irresponsibly. They make little attempt to understand and live by God's ethics [the basis of good and evil or right and wrong] or God's morality [behavior based on a person's understanding of good and evil or right and wrong]. When a caring person calls his or her attention to irresponsible conduct, he or she (a) chastises the person for 'judging' and (b) declares they are covered by God's grace and mercy. God does not want the person who allows Jesus Christ to rule his or her life to exist irresponsibly.
To live with an overwhelming sense of guilt or to live irresponsibly is to fail to discover God's balance in salvation in Christ.
Does every Christian totally depend on God's grace and mercy? Absolutely! No human act or endeavor makes a person worthy to be in the presence of the completely holy God!
Is every Christian guilty of sinfulness? Without doubt! No one stands in God's presence because he or she never makes a mistake. All of us constantly are sinful creatures! Each person in Christ stands in God's sight because he or she is forgiven!
The knowledge of what God did and does for us in Christ fills us with a constant, undying sense of joy. There is unimaginable peace in the awareness that a loving God forgives us!
The same knowledge of what God did and does for us in Christ fills us with a constant, undying sense of gratitude. From that sense of gratitude rises our undying commitment to live responsibly before God.
Christians obey because they are filled with a sense of gratitude. They know what God gave them in Christ, and they will never outlive their sense of gratitude! Christians obey God. Yet, they do not obey because they live in terror of God. They obey because they love God, and love Him profoundly.
It is from this sense of gratitude that service rises. It is from this sense of gratitude that commitment rises. It is from this sense of gratitude that a willingness to change who we are rises.
Inherent in conversion is the commitment to transformation. Transformation redefines the person and profoundly alters his or her life. No matter how irresponsibly one lived prior to conversion to Christ, he or she lives responsibly in Christ. There definitely is a 'before' and 'after.' Life is definitely separated between 'prior to Christ's rule' and 'under Christ's rule.' Jesus and the New Testament writers made it quite plain that honoring the living, holy God produces responsible living that reflects both joy and commitment.
