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Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
Psalm 119:1-3 ESV
To be blameless in God’s sight is to walk in the law of the Lord. By the way, this is what the New Testament teaches, too. It isn’t about never sinning again. It isn’t about sinless perfection. It is about our walks with the Lord, our lifestyles, our habits, our practices.
Is sin what we practice? Or, is righteousness what we practice? Do we walk (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit of God or according to our flesh?
[See: Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 5:16-24; Gal. 6:7-8; Eph. 4:17-24; Eph. 5:3-6; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Co. 6:20; 2 Co. 5:15, 21; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Jn. 14:23-24; 1 Jn. 2:3-6; Jn. 8:31-32; Heb. 3:6-15]
We need to be living on purpose, intentionally living lives which are above reproach. We need to not be those who consistently and habitually and even premeditatedly live by their flesh, by their feelings, and who habitually do what is evil in God’s sight.
Yet, many who profess faith in Jesus Christ live just like this, according to their flesh, and not according to the Spirit of God. And, then they claim that God’s grace covers it all.
We need to be those who live like we say we believe. It doesn’t mean we will never sin, or that we will never fail and that we will be absolutely perfect in all that we do and say. For, we still live in flesh bodies, and our flesh is still at war with the Spirit of God, and we are still tempted to sin, and we still have the propensity to sin against God.
But, this is no excuse for continued willful habitual and premeditative sinning against God, either. Lack of perfection should never be used as an excuse for habitually sinning against God, on purpose, while putting up our hands and telling God “NO!” that we aren’t going to obey him, but we are going to do what our flesh wants, instead. What a slap in the face to God!!!
So, how is all this accomplished, this walk of holiness? Well, I can tell you that it doesn’t happen in our flesh, for the flesh is at war with the Spirit. We can’t do this through wishful thinking or through empty promises, either. We can’t do it through false tears and worldly sorrow, either. We don’t change just by feeling badly that we sin on a consistent basis. We don’t change by doing a “woe is me” thing, either. And, we don’t change by doing the “sin confess, sin confess” thing repeatedly over and over again, either.
So, how do we effect genuine habitual continued walks in holiness? Only by God’s grace, through God-given faith in Jesus Christ – a faith which surrenders to God’s will and purposes, which yields control of one’s life over to the Spirit of God, and which submits to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and which does not habitually yield to the flesh, especially premeditatedly.
And which daily, by the Spirit of God, is putting to death the deeds of the flesh, and which is walking according to the Spirit, and which is putting on the armor of God with which to fight off the temptations and evil schemes of Satan and his hordes (Eph. 6:10-20; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).
You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
Oh that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
Psalm 119:4-6 ESV
We have to be intentional about this way of living. We have to be diligent. We can’t get lazy or we will fall. We can’t play with sin and expect not to get burned. We can’t be spending our days filling our minds with the junk of this world and then expect to combat temptation to sin. We can’t just take life as it comes. We can’t live without a plan. We have to live intentionally!!
The only way any of us are going to be able to live like this is talking about, and like the New Testament teaches we must walk, too, if we want to have eternal life with God, is if we daily die to sin and self and moment by moment we say “NO!” to ungodliness and worldly passions and if we live self-controlled, upright and godly lives by the grace of God (Tit. 2:11-14).
So many people who call themselves followers of Christ “struggle” with (meaning regularly give in to) sinful practices. And, they consider that a normal part of their Christian lives. NO! That is not how it is supposed to be! Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He paid the price for our sin so that we can now die to sin and live to HIM.
I am not saying we will never battle with temptation to sin or that we won’t battle with Satan. We will! For the devil is like a roaring lion roaming around seeking whom he may devour. And, he is out to get us any which way that he can. And, this is all the more reason why we have to be intentional, and why we have to be diligent about resisting him and drawing close to Christ.
But, too many people who call themselves Christians have resigned themselves to lives of habitual sinning against God feeling as though they will always “struggle” with these sins and that there can be no real and complete victory. But, that is a lie straight from hell!
Jesus died, not just to forgive us our sins, and not just to promise us heaven when we die. He died to deliver us from our addictions to sin, our sinful habits, and to empower us to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to Him! Victory is ours through Jesus Christ our Lord if we will yield to his Lordship, and if we will surrender our lives to him, and if we will cooperate with his work of grace in our lives in conforming us to his likeness.
I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous rules.
I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me!
Psalm 119:7-8 ESV
Oh, I so wish that this truth would sink into the hearts of so many who are living defeated lives because they keep repeating the same sin cycles over and over and over again. Victory is yours through Jesus Christ your Lord! But, you have to cooperate with God, and you have to say “NO!” to the flesh and “YES!” to the Spirit day by day by day, and moment by moment.
And, it isn’t about waiting until temptation comes your way, either, for if you do, chances are you will fail, because you weren’t intentional about not sinning. We have to follow what the scriptures teach on this subject, and they have much to say, too.
We have to cut out of our lives everything which is leading us into sin. So, if your sin is sexual immorality of any kind, then you need to cut out of your life anything that might be leading you down that path. And, we have to get radical with this. For, too many people keep repeating the same sins over again because they aren’t willing to cut out what leads them into sin.
Honestly, we have to live what holiness is, and what it entails is living lives which are separate (unlike, different) from the world of sin because we are being made into the likeness of Jesus Christ. And, too many people who call themselves Christians aren’t willing to go to that extreme or to be thought weird or radical or crazy. They want to be “normal,” and so they have one foot in the world and one, they think, in the spiritual realm, too.
And, we have to take seriously what the scriptures teach, too, with regard to habitual sin. Scripture is real clear on this subject. If we walk (in practice) according to our flesh, we are going to die in our sins no matter what we profess with our lips or think we believe in our hearts. But, if we walk (in lifestyle) according to (in agreement with) the Holy Spirit of God, then we have eternal life with God (Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 5:16-21; Gal. 6:7-8).
Too many people who call themselves Christians don’t truly believe this, and that is why they are able to continue in their sinful practices. They think that because they “received Christ” that nothing can separate them from God and that eternal life with God is guaranteed them no matter how they live. But, that is not what the scriptures teach. Please know this!
We are all going to reap what we sow. If we sow to please the flesh, from that flesh we are going to reap destruction (corruption, decay, death). But, if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life. So, believe this and stop believing the lies which tell you that your sins won’t impact your eternal security. For, if you practice sin, you will die in your sin, and you won’t have eternal life with God (Gal. 5:16-21; Gal. 6:7-8).
Your Servant
An Original Work / September 21, 2011
Lord, I love to have You near me
As I go throughout my day,
Walking daily in Your footsteps,
As I humbly pray.
List’ning to You, hear You teaching
Me to live and work for You,
Lord, I pray You lead and guide me
Daily in Your truth.
Lord, I want to be Your witness,
Telling others of Your grace;
Telling how they can be set free
Of their sins today;
Share with them the love of Jesus,
He died on a cruel tree,
So that we’d be forgiven
For all eternity.
Lord, I want to serve You only,
As I bow on bended knee,
Making You my Lord and master,
And Your servant be.
Humbly walking in obedience,
Doing what You say to me,
Lord, may I be an example
Of one who’s set free.
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
Psalm 119:1-3 ESV
To be blameless in God’s sight is to walk in the law of the Lord. By the way, this is what the New Testament teaches, too. It isn’t about never sinning again. It isn’t about sinless perfection. It is about our walks with the Lord, our lifestyles, our habits, our practices.
Is sin what we practice? Or, is righteousness what we practice? Do we walk (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit of God or according to our flesh?
[See: Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 5:16-24; Gal. 6:7-8; Eph. 4:17-24; Eph. 5:3-6; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Co. 6:20; 2 Co. 5:15, 21; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Jn. 14:23-24; 1 Jn. 2:3-6; Jn. 8:31-32; Heb. 3:6-15]
We need to be living on purpose, intentionally living lives which are above reproach. We need to not be those who consistently and habitually and even premeditatedly live by their flesh, by their feelings, and who habitually do what is evil in God’s sight.
Yet, many who profess faith in Jesus Christ live just like this, according to their flesh, and not according to the Spirit of God. And, then they claim that God’s grace covers it all.
We need to be those who live like we say we believe. It doesn’t mean we will never sin, or that we will never fail and that we will be absolutely perfect in all that we do and say. For, we still live in flesh bodies, and our flesh is still at war with the Spirit of God, and we are still tempted to sin, and we still have the propensity to sin against God.
But, this is no excuse for continued willful habitual and premeditative sinning against God, either. Lack of perfection should never be used as an excuse for habitually sinning against God, on purpose, while putting up our hands and telling God “NO!” that we aren’t going to obey him, but we are going to do what our flesh wants, instead. What a slap in the face to God!!!
So, how is all this accomplished, this walk of holiness? Well, I can tell you that it doesn’t happen in our flesh, for the flesh is at war with the Spirit. We can’t do this through wishful thinking or through empty promises, either. We can’t do it through false tears and worldly sorrow, either. We don’t change just by feeling badly that we sin on a consistent basis. We don’t change by doing a “woe is me” thing, either. And, we don’t change by doing the “sin confess, sin confess” thing repeatedly over and over again, either.
So, how do we effect genuine habitual continued walks in holiness? Only by God’s grace, through God-given faith in Jesus Christ – a faith which surrenders to God’s will and purposes, which yields control of one’s life over to the Spirit of God, and which submits to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and which does not habitually yield to the flesh, especially premeditatedly.
And which daily, by the Spirit of God, is putting to death the deeds of the flesh, and which is walking according to the Spirit, and which is putting on the armor of God with which to fight off the temptations and evil schemes of Satan and his hordes (Eph. 6:10-20; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).
You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
Oh that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
Psalm 119:4-6 ESV
We have to be intentional about this way of living. We have to be diligent. We can’t get lazy or we will fall. We can’t play with sin and expect not to get burned. We can’t be spending our days filling our minds with the junk of this world and then expect to combat temptation to sin. We can’t just take life as it comes. We can’t live without a plan. We have to live intentionally!!
The only way any of us are going to be able to live like this is talking about, and like the New Testament teaches we must walk, too, if we want to have eternal life with God, is if we daily die to sin and self and moment by moment we say “NO!” to ungodliness and worldly passions and if we live self-controlled, upright and godly lives by the grace of God (Tit. 2:11-14).
So many people who call themselves followers of Christ “struggle” with (meaning regularly give in to) sinful practices. And, they consider that a normal part of their Christian lives. NO! That is not how it is supposed to be! Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He paid the price for our sin so that we can now die to sin and live to HIM.
I am not saying we will never battle with temptation to sin or that we won’t battle with Satan. We will! For the devil is like a roaring lion roaming around seeking whom he may devour. And, he is out to get us any which way that he can. And, this is all the more reason why we have to be intentional, and why we have to be diligent about resisting him and drawing close to Christ.
But, too many people who call themselves Christians have resigned themselves to lives of habitual sinning against God feeling as though they will always “struggle” with these sins and that there can be no real and complete victory. But, that is a lie straight from hell!
Jesus died, not just to forgive us our sins, and not just to promise us heaven when we die. He died to deliver us from our addictions to sin, our sinful habits, and to empower us to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to Him! Victory is ours through Jesus Christ our Lord if we will yield to his Lordship, and if we will surrender our lives to him, and if we will cooperate with his work of grace in our lives in conforming us to his likeness.
I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous rules.
I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me!
Psalm 119:7-8 ESV
Oh, I so wish that this truth would sink into the hearts of so many who are living defeated lives because they keep repeating the same sin cycles over and over and over again. Victory is yours through Jesus Christ your Lord! But, you have to cooperate with God, and you have to say “NO!” to the flesh and “YES!” to the Spirit day by day by day, and moment by moment.
And, it isn’t about waiting until temptation comes your way, either, for if you do, chances are you will fail, because you weren’t intentional about not sinning. We have to follow what the scriptures teach on this subject, and they have much to say, too.
We have to cut out of our lives everything which is leading us into sin. So, if your sin is sexual immorality of any kind, then you need to cut out of your life anything that might be leading you down that path. And, we have to get radical with this. For, too many people keep repeating the same sins over again because they aren’t willing to cut out what leads them into sin.
Honestly, we have to live what holiness is, and what it entails is living lives which are separate (unlike, different) from the world of sin because we are being made into the likeness of Jesus Christ. And, too many people who call themselves Christians aren’t willing to go to that extreme or to be thought weird or radical or crazy. They want to be “normal,” and so they have one foot in the world and one, they think, in the spiritual realm, too.
And, we have to take seriously what the scriptures teach, too, with regard to habitual sin. Scripture is real clear on this subject. If we walk (in practice) according to our flesh, we are going to die in our sins no matter what we profess with our lips or think we believe in our hearts. But, if we walk (in lifestyle) according to (in agreement with) the Holy Spirit of God, then we have eternal life with God (Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 5:16-21; Gal. 6:7-8).
Too many people who call themselves Christians don’t truly believe this, and that is why they are able to continue in their sinful practices. They think that because they “received Christ” that nothing can separate them from God and that eternal life with God is guaranteed them no matter how they live. But, that is not what the scriptures teach. Please know this!
We are all going to reap what we sow. If we sow to please the flesh, from that flesh we are going to reap destruction (corruption, decay, death). But, if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life. So, believe this and stop believing the lies which tell you that your sins won’t impact your eternal security. For, if you practice sin, you will die in your sin, and you won’t have eternal life with God (Gal. 5:16-21; Gal. 6:7-8).
Your Servant
An Original Work / September 21, 2011
Lord, I love to have You near me
As I go throughout my day,
Walking daily in Your footsteps,
As I humbly pray.
List’ning to You, hear You teaching
Me to live and work for You,
Lord, I pray You lead and guide me
Daily in Your truth.
Lord, I want to be Your witness,
Telling others of Your grace;
Telling how they can be set free
Of their sins today;
Share with them the love of Jesus,
He died on a cruel tree,
So that we’d be forgiven
For all eternity.
Lord, I want to serve You only,
As I bow on bended knee,
Making You my Lord and master,
And Your servant be.
Humbly walking in obedience,
Doing what You say to me,
Lord, may I be an example
Of one who’s set free.
