I believe that sometimes or often we are guilty of taking God/Jesus Christ for granted. As well, I believe today’s church is often at fault in how they present God/Jesus when they paint God as a big doting grandfather in the sky, and/or when they paint Jesus as a weak and powerless person who just went around loving on people and making them feel good all over. By giving these false images of God – Father and Son – I believe it helps feed complacency, apathy, dishonor, disrespect and taking God for granted.
As well, when we teach salvation as some kind of emotional decision we make to receive Christ, but we don’t tell people that coming to Christ means death to sin (our old lifestyles of sin), transformed hearts and minds, and walking in Christ’s righteousness and holiness, we give a false image of God that translates into people thinking that God’s grace means they can do whatever they want and still have their ticket into heaven.
His word teaches us that Jesus died, not just so we could go to heaven one day, but so we could die with him to sin (See Ro. 6-8; Eph. 4:17-24), and so we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us (See 2 Co. 5:15). In fact, his grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled and upright lives in this present age while we wait for our Lord’s return (See Tit. 2:11-14). Thus, when we realize what Jesus Christ has done for us in saving us from our sins, we should turn from our sins, walk with him in truth, and choose to obey him in all things.
Realizing / An Original Work / May 14, 2011
Realizing what He did for you
Should cause you to walk with Him in truth.
Trust in Him to be your Lord today.
Turn from sin; obey without delay.
Realizing He died on a tree,
So that from sin you could be set free,
Should bring you down upon bended knee,
Repentant; humbly; submissively.
Realizing that He loves us so,
Which is why, to the cross He did go,
Is what leads us to salvation free,
Through our faith in Jesus Christ our King.
As well, when we teach salvation as some kind of emotional decision we make to receive Christ, but we don’t tell people that coming to Christ means death to sin (our old lifestyles of sin), transformed hearts and minds, and walking in Christ’s righteousness and holiness, we give a false image of God that translates into people thinking that God’s grace means they can do whatever they want and still have their ticket into heaven.
His word teaches us that Jesus died, not just so we could go to heaven one day, but so we could die with him to sin (See Ro. 6-8; Eph. 4:17-24), and so we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us (See 2 Co. 5:15). In fact, his grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled and upright lives in this present age while we wait for our Lord’s return (See Tit. 2:11-14). Thus, when we realize what Jesus Christ has done for us in saving us from our sins, we should turn from our sins, walk with him in truth, and choose to obey him in all things.
Realizing / An Original Work / May 14, 2011
Realizing what He did for you
Should cause you to walk with Him in truth.
Trust in Him to be your Lord today.
Turn from sin; obey without delay.
Realizing He died on a tree,
So that from sin you could be set free,
Should bring you down upon bended knee,
Repentant; humbly; submissively.
Realizing that He loves us so,
Which is why, to the cross He did go,
Is what leads us to salvation free,
Through our faith in Jesus Christ our King.