Who is the audience here? Those of genuine faith in Jesus Christ, a faith which is authored by God/Christ Jesus, is persuaded of God, and is gifted to us by God and is not of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man. For there is nothing in our flesh that we can do to earn or to deserve our own salvation. And we cannot even decide what this faith looks like, either, or what it should produce in us. God and the Bible are what determine the nature of this faith and how it is to be acted out in us.
[
Hebrews 12:1-2;
Ephesians 2:8-10;
John 1:12-13;
John 6:44]
Well, since this faith is authored by God, is persuaded of God, and is gifted to us by God, and it is not of our own flesh nor of our own doing, then it is a faith which results in us being crucified with Christ in death to sin and us being raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So we are no longer to obey sin, for if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, its end is eternal life with Christ our Lord.
And the grace of God by which we are being saved is training us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions (desires), and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return. For Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works”, “which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (see
Romans 6:1-23;
1 Peter 2:24;
Titus 2:11-14 and
Ephesians 2:8-10).
So, this faith is not just lip service to the Lord while we continue living in sin. For Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God the Father (
Matthew 7:21-23). Therefore, by this faith we are to be those who are walking (in conduct, in practice, in purpose) in a manner worthy of (fitting to, suitable to, appropriate to) our Lord and to his divine will and character and purpose for our lives, as his followers who obey him in practice.
And we are to be those who are living our lives fully pleasing to the Lord. This does not mean we will never sin again (
1 John 2:1-2) but that sin should no longer be our practice. Instead, righteousness and obedience to our Lord are to be what we practice. And so we are to find out what pleases the Lord, and then in his strength and power and wisdom do the things which please him, according to the Scriptures, and not according to our own fleshly reasoning and thinking and judgments.
[
Matt 7:21-23;
Lu 9:23-26;
Jn 15:1-11;
Rom 6:1-23;
Rom 8:1-14;
1 Co 15:58;
2 Co 5:9;
2 Co 9:8;
Gal 5:6;
Gal 6:8;
Eph 2:8-10;
Eph 5:10;
Php 2:12-13;
Col 1:9-14;
1 Thes 2:4;
1 Thes 4:1;
2 Thess 1:11-12;
2 Tim. 2:4,
21;
Tit 2:11-14;
Tit 3:8;
Heb 11:6;
Heb 13:6;
Jas 2:17;
1 Jn 3:22]
And if we are walking in obedience to his commands, and no longer in sin, and if we are doing what pleases the Lord, according to his word, then we should be those who are bearing spiritual fruit in every good work (the works God prepared in advance that we should walk in them). And this should be evident in our actions, and in our speaking and in our lifestyles and in our practices, whether or not our lives are surrendered to Jesus Christ or if we are still living to please our flesh and to follow the world, instead.
For the whole purpose of why Jesus gave his life for us on that cross was to deliver us from the domain of darkness (sin, the devil) and to transfer us to the kingdom of Christ by genuine faith in the Lord whereby we die with him to sin so that we will now walk with him in obedience to his commands in holy living, by his grace. For the forgiveness of sins has with it the purpose that we will “go and sin no more,” not that we will continue living in sin without conscience. For if we continue in sin, we will not have eternal life.
[
John 10:27-30;
Acts 26:18;
Rom 2:6-8;
Rom 12:1-2;
1 Co 6:9-10,
19-20;
1 Co 10:1-22;
2 Co 5:10,
15,
21;
Gal 5:16-24;
Gal 6:7-8;
Eph 4:17-32;
Eph 5:3-6;
Col 1:21-23;
Col 3:1-17;
1 Jn 1:5-10;
1 Jn 2:3-6,
24-25;
1 Jn 3:4-10;
1 Peter 1:15;
1 Pet 2:24;
Heb 3:1-19;
Heb 4:1-13;
Heb 10:23-31]
Songs in the Night
An Original Work / December 18, 2013
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84
Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.
I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!
Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.
I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!
Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.
Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!
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