Real Salvation, Real Transformation.
As we gaze around at the fast moving stream of our culture, there is visible evidence that we are living in a disparate age from even five or ten years previous. So many things are transforming swiftly.
This calls every disciple of Christ to be aware of the times. Paul, in Romans 13, gives us this advice as well:
“Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:13-14).
That is great advice: “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh.” But what does it mean? Our thinking and acting, as disciples of Jesus, is to mimic the Lord Jesus Christ. He is not only our Savior, but He is also how we are called to live. “Provision for the flesh” is in contrast to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” There is a way to live now that we know we are loved by God and rescued from a truly Hellish eternity. We live like Christ.
How does this happen? As the Word of God becomes more and more a part of our lives, the Spirit of the Living God transforms our thinking so that we are more like Christ. So focus on your salvation and look for passages that speak about how God rescued you from darkness and brought you into His marvelous light. Look for passages that explain the salvation story (Jesus on the cross, dying in your place). I’ll provide a few here to get you going.
The more we see what Jesus Christ endured for us, the more we will become like Him and live for Him! Blessings to all of you in Jesus!