Freedom in Christ

        Holiness is the process of making our lives more like Christ and crucifying our worldly desires. It is running toward peace, where our hearts can finally rest. We can't do this alone though, girls. In our own strength, we will be as helpless a newborn baby. Oh we may be able to put on a show for a while, but our hearts may be as stagnant as ever. When we follow Christ out of duty, it is legalism.

       When we pursue righteousness through a set of legalistic rules of do's and don'ts, it is as if we are saying Christ's death and resurrection was not sufficient.

We are missing the mark if we don't first have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If we don't know him and are trying to live holy lives, what is the purpose? Is it to lead to a life spent doing legalistic things in order to win God's approval? Legalism doesn't just affect those who don't know Christ. Just as subtlety  it seeps into Christian's lives. They say, "If I do this or don't do that, Christ will love me more." 

            My sisters, it doesn't have to be this way. For those that are weary of trying to do right but don't know Christ, you must experience God's saving grace in order to have access to the Father. The Bible says in Isaiah 64:6, "But we are all as as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away." Our righteousness won't give us a relationship with the Father. Salvation by grace alone through faith alone is the basis for justification. Works didn't save us, but we were saved to do good works. Salvation is about what Christ did for you....how incredible and resting to know you don't have to earn your way to heaven!! That's why it's so amazing that God saves any person. It doesn't matter where you have been or what you've done, your sin is not too deep for Christ to save you. "We have all sinned and have come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
          If you've been born again, rest knowing Christ saved you out of your sin and that His grace is enough!!! When he said it was finished, it was FINISHED! He rescued you and forgave your sins when he saved You. You don't have to add works to your salvation!! Christ loves you!! Sanctification is the process of Christ making you more like Him, and that's why we should pursue holiness. Christ made us new when He saved us, so it is only natural that we would pursue those things that are precious to Him. We should ask our Father to help us put to death the old nature. With Christ's help, we can chase after holiness with utter joy. We should have joy because we've been born again!!
         Because we are not saved by works, this does not mean that we should continue in sin so that grace may abound. (Rom 6) By no means! In fact, when we allow sin and other garbage to creep into our lives, it prevents close fellowship with our Savior. On the other hand, when we choose righteousness and holiness out of love for our Savior, it brings freedom from the captivity of trying to be "good enough." Our lives exist to bring glory to God, so that should be our sole purpose for running toward holiness.

When we behold the cross and Christ's sacrifice, our only response 
should be complete obedience to our Savior.

Jesus paid the price for our freedom!!!! The most amazing gift of love was that the Savior died on the cross and paid for the punishment our sins so that we could have life. So, why wouldn't we want to live our lives falling more in love with Him each day?