Which Wage War Against Your Soul

“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:11-12 ESV)

Beloved, when Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who is God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – gave his life up for us on that cross, it was to put our sins to death with him so that we might, by God-persuaded faith in him, die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Peter 2:24). His whole purpose in going to that cross was so that we will now be crucified with him in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness (Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Ephesians 4:17-24).

For Jesus, when he lived on this earth, told us that if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our lives of living for self and in sin, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow our Lord in obedience, then we have eternal life in him. For he also said that not everyone calling him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven (Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; John 6:35-58; John 15:1-11).

Therefore, our salvation from sin and our eternal life with God are about us dying with Christ to sin and now living to him and to his righteousness, in the power of God. For God created all of us for a purpose, and he has a plan and a purpose for each one of our lives, and he has an assignment for each one of us within the body of Christ, and his purpose in saving us from our sins was so that we would now serve his purposes for our lives. His intention in providing us with salvation from sin was never that we should then go on living in deliberate and habitual sin in disobedience to our Lord’s commands.

Thus, Peter let us know what God’s will and purpose is for our lives, and he urged us all to walk in that purpose. And the first part of that purpose is that we first of all die with Christ to sin so that we can live to him and to his righteousness. And then we must die daily to sin and walk in obedience to his commands, in the power of God, in holy living. And so this means that we are to abstain from the passions of the flesh which wage war against our souls. So we are not to be those who are engaged in sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, lying, cheating, stealing, faithlessness and all sorts of other evils of the flesh which are against God and against his will for us.

For the grace of God, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for 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” as his workmanship (Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10). So, the grace of God is not forgiveness of sins so that we can now go on living in sin without punishment and without conscience or feelings of guilt.

Therefore, as genuine biblical believers in Jesus Christ, who revere him as Lord (Owner-Master) of our lives, we are to keep our conduct honorable among the people of the world so that when the ungodly – which includes many who profess to be Christians – speak against us as though we are evildoers, they may see our good deeds – the ones which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them – and that they will glorify God. For we are witnesses for Jesus Christ, but not in word only, but in deed. For the way we live our lives should give testimony to God’s saving grace in our lives so that others can see, and so that they will want to know Jesus Christ, too.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:11-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]  

He Gives Purpose  

An Original Work / June 9, 2012

“Listen to Me when I’m calling to you.

Obey freely My word.

Follow Me in all of My ways.

Do all that I say.

Hear Me gently whisper to you

My will for your life and future.

Give all of your life and heart to

Follow Me always.”

Repent of your sins and worship Jesus.

He’s your Lord and Master.

He died for your sins so you could

Live with Him today.

He has a plan for your life and

He gives purpose and direction.

He gives meaning to your life,

So follow Him today.

“I love you so much I gave My life for

You to walk in My ways,

Living for Me each day as you

Bow to Me and pray.

Witness for Me of your love for Me and

Of My grace and mercy,

How I died to save you of your

Sins now and always.”

https://vimeo.com/119038798