I believe God's grace is sufficient. We all struggle with sin. And if we confess our sins, or sinfulness, He is faithful and just to forgive us. We have an advocate with the Father, pleading our cause, the man Christ Jesus. If we remain humble and saddened by our sin He knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts.
What are we commanded to do to be saved? In my understanding we are to repent, be water baptized, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Now, let me say this... God will save whomever He desires, even if they aren't baptized. God is merciful. I'm simply saying that I believe that if one repents, is water baptized, and filled with the Spirit one can be assured they are born again. Again, this is my understanding.
Once saved, what must we do? Again... this is my understanding. And this is going to shock many. It's going to be extremely difficult, so brace yourself. You're almost going to wish you chose a different faith. Are you ready? Here's what we must do...
1.) Love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.
2.) And demonstrate our love for God by... loving others as Christ loves us.
Notice, I didn't throw out a dress code. I didn't throw out a calendar to observe. I didn't throw out a dietary requirement. I didn't throw out a long list of do's and don'ts. Why? Because if you truly love others... you'll abstain from sin. You won't lie to someone you love. You won't kill or harm someone you love. You won't use and exploit someone you love. You won't steal from someone you love. You won't curse at someone you love. You won't be jealous and covetous about the lives of those you love. The secret is actually rather simple... love. Genuine love. All sin can be traced back to a failure to love God and love others. If you're stealing from someone, you don't love them enough. If you're unfaithful to a spouse, your love for them is lacking. If you're neglecting prayer and worship, you're love for God is lacking. Pray that you be baptized with God's love and then pour that love out into your life and into the lives of those around you. I firmly believe that in the judgment, every thought, word, deed, and intention will be judged as to if it was... loving. Not religious. Not spiritual. Not in accordance to some tradition... but how does it measure up to the command to love God and our fellow man.
You can live above sin by living a life of love.
When we fail to love and cater to the flesh and the carnal mind... we sin.
Our sin can do many things. It most assuredly robs us of joy and peace, because we are not walking in the fullness of the new nature imparted to us through the Holy Spirit. And so, one's life might be marked with a lack of joy, depression, anxiety, a short temper, nightmares, a sense of not pleasing your Heavenly Father, and so there is insecurity and an uneasiness that troubles us. We also find ourselves not living an authentic life as we try to hide our sin and act like someone we're not. These things not only effect our spiritual health, but our mental and even physical health. It is good for us spiritually, mentally, and physically to abstain from sin.
Now, are you lost as you grapple and come to grips with sin? No. You're a child in need of direction, love, and discipline. But you are not cast out like garbage. He DIED for you. God is full of mercy and grace. Mercy is not receiving what you deserve. Grace is receiving what you did not earn. To the one struggling with sin and suffering over their own behavior, do not fear God. He isn't going to dish out the Hell you deserve, He's going to continue calling you "son" and "daughter" through grace, what you don't deserve. Why? Because His love will win. Just accept His love and step away from the sin. It's hurting you. It's damaging you. It's damaging your life. You deserve to have joy, peace, and assurance. Cease the sin you struggle with by discovering where your love is lacking and work on that. An unfaithful spouse might struggle with guilt, shame, and remorse while in sin. But... upon learning to love their spouse more... they will be able to repent and cease that sin of unfaithfulness. Learn to LOVE.
Can sin cost us our soul?
Yes.
If we fail to address our sin and lack of love, our hearts grow hardened. We become desensitized to the pain and shame. We adapt and accommodate the sin. We begin to love the sin. Like an idol. Sin is always idolatry. Now we are in a territory called rebellion. Here we loose the ability to hear God's voice. And God often sends corrective judgments to wake us up and get us to turn to Him. This isn't out of anger or hatred towards you, but anger over what the sin is doing to you and you're allowing it. It's like the love of a parent, furious with the drug that is destroying their child and upset with their child's unwillingness to seek help and be set free.
Having said that... there comes a point in which one's hart becomes so hardened, so given over to sin, that they can no longer hear from God even if God's corrective judgments or confrontations come. Soon, one begins to lose their faith altogether. Soon, the things of God are trivial to them. And here they cross the line and God gives them over to their desires... and they become reprobate. Lost.
Worried or troubled that you have sinned and gone too far??? THAT'S WONDERFUL!!!! That means you've not gone too far! You're feeling convicted still. You're new nature is still alive and well in you clashing with your behavior. In fact, you're just a confession away from feeling the peace of God's grace. And time remains to refocus and learn to love in a way that will cause you to cease the sin and harm you're causing.
Many might disagree with what I've written here. And that's okay. I'm still learning after being born again for over 30 years. But this is my experience and my understanding.
God bless.
Chris
