“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’ And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
Former Sinful Passions
So, what are some of our former sinful passions? Things like
lying, cheating, stealing, gossiping, sexual immorality, malice, hatred, envy, and
bitterness, etc.? If we are followers of Jesus Christ, in truth, we will no
longer walk in these things. They will no longer have control over our lives to
where we obey them in practice. We will no longer be conformed to these sinful desires.
Now we will be obedient to our Lord. We will no longer live as slaves of sin
but now we will live as slaves of God and of his righteousness.
For we are to be holy in all of our conduct. And to be holy
means to be separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are now
being conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ in his character. So it means
to take on the character of Christ in how we live and to cast off that sinful
character that we had previously. So this means that our conduct should
represent Christ. We should be those who are honest, trustworthy, morally pure,
upright, godly, faithful and those who practice self-control.
We are not to be those who immerse ourselves in our culture
and who become like the world so as to win the world to what? You aren’t
winning anyone’s hearts to the true Jesus and to true salvation by conforming
to the world so that the world will not feel judged by you and so that they
will feel that you are one of them. You might be winning them to a false gospel
which is all one-sided, teaching that Jesus does everything for us but that
nothing is required of us in return – no repentance and no obedience.
For that is the gospel that those who want us to immerse
ourselves in our culture are teaching, in practice. Now don’t go by people’s
statements of faith, for often you will find that there is a huge disconnect
between their statements of faith and what they are actually teaching, in
practice. For it appears that the vast majority of what is called church here
in America has swung over to follow a diluted gospel which leads people into
one-sided relationships with Christ which are no relationship with Christ at
all.
For they are teaching that Jesus does everything for us and
we do nothing other than to “believe” which is not really defined, not usually,
and so people think of belief as just some acceptance of God’s grace, forgiveness
and/or his affection into their lives but minus repentance (turning away from
their sins) and minus obedience to Christ and to his commands (New Covenant).
And that is a one-sided relationship, not a union with Christ, not a covenant
of marriage with Christ where we love and obey him and revere him.
Don’t Follow Them
And so we aren’t to follow in the ways of our ancestors who
taught such things or those who are teaching such things today. We are not to
adopt the ways of our ancestors who professed faith in Christ but who still
lived in sin, and who taught that you can believe in Jesus and be on your way
to heaven despite how you live on this earth. If our parents or grandparents
set bad examples to follow, then we should not follow those examples. We should
be those who seek out the truth for ourselves and who follow the truth.
So, just know that Jesus Christ died on that cross to
deliver you from your slavery to sin and to empower you to live in obedience to
his commands in walks of holiness and righteousness. He died to deliver you
from the power of and slavery to sin so you will now be slaves of God and of
his righteousness. He died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness,
and that we might live for him and no longer for ourselves, and to buy us back
for God so we will now honor God with our lives.
[Rom 6:1-23; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet 2:24; 2 Co 5:15,21; 1 Co
6:19-20]
And also know that if you continue walking in sin, making
sin your practice (addiction, habit), and if walking in obedience to the Lord
in his righteousness and holiness are not your practice, the Scriptures teach
that you don’t know Jesus, and he doesn’t know you, and you are not born of
God, but you are of the devil, and you are a liar if you claim to be in
fellowship with the Lord. For not everyone who says to Jesus, “Lord, Lord,”
will enter the kingdom of heaven but the one DOING the will of God.
Oh,
to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics
by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music
by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s
treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of
compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the
fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy
love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy
fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg
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