How many times have you heard someone say they will kick their bad habits tomorrow? Or they promise to start improving their lifestyle in the morning? As a recent college graduate, I have spent evenings with friends at bars or parties and the next morning, after they suffer from a horrible hangover, listened to them declare that they will never drink again. Then of course the next weekend comes and I come to find out that they went out and got drunk all over again. It's sad that people don't keep their word, but it's even sadder that they choose to not put the effort in to change their bad habits that they clearly know are bad.
When we were all born into this world, we were born into a sinful lifestyle; one that does not respect or honor God. We have the ability to choose: God or Satan's world? This choice has to be a proactive one, though. We cannot just say, "I believe in God," and let it stop there. We need to completely reinvent ourselves in order to be more Christlike. Once you decide to be born not of this world, but of Christ, "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness," according to Romans 6:18. Instead of allowing sin to have control of your heart and life, allow God to change it so that you are remodelled closer to the image of Christ. By renewing yourself, you become more capable of doing God's work here on Earth. This is in line with the thinking in Ephesians 2:10, which declares, "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
While here on Earth, we are not to live for ourselves, but for God. Once we are set free from sin because we realize what Jesus sacrificed for us on the cross, we should have this overwhelming desire to promote the goodness of the Lord to all people in order to bear fruit. Our good works cannot save us because we are saved by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8), but we should always be trying to live for God so that others can be drawn closer to Him when they see His light shining through us. We need to remember that we are not our own. We are here to live for Christ, but it is your decision on how well you are used. 2 Timothy 2:20-21 states, "In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special uses and some are for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work." From this passage, one should grasp that they can either be special or common. I bet most would desire to be special, but that requires more work. One must consciously work to rid blatant sin from their lives in order to be the best use to the Lord. As a born again, He will use you no matter what, but your effectiveness on others will be limited if you are still caught up in blatant sin. God warns us in 1 Peter 2:15-16 to not abuse our freedom in Him: "For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God's slaves."
Many might feel that it is hard to avoid blatant sins, and I would have to agree with them. Any bad habit or addiction is hard to crack. I personally have a bit of a caffeine addiction that I am determined to break, so I have stopped drinking Pepsi in order to improve my health. It definitely has not been easy because I have had to deal with withdrawal headaches, but I am determined to kick the habit. The easiest way for me to do this is to just avoid all Pepsi products to reduce the temptation. This is the exact same way someone should approach dealing with blatant sin in their lives: avoidance. 2 Timothy 2:22-24 recommends we, "Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." Avoiding the evil desires of youth will help you reduce the blatant sin in your life. Also, by avoiding arguments and foolish quarrels, the respect people have for you will slowly grow. This can be used as a teaching tool because if someone asks about your self control, you can share with them about Jesus. Avoiding quarrels also helps you live out the following proverb: Proverbs 12:18 ~ "The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." By ending up in fruitless quarrels, you end up cutting down the other person, which highlights your sinful nature. By demonstrating restraint and avoidance of quarrels, you appear wise, which can be attributed to living your life for Christ. The teachings of Christ always bring healing to people's hearts because everybody needs a Savior.
My recommendation to you is to put effort into avoiding blatant sin in order to live your life for Christ. Try your best to share the Word with someone everyday in order to guide them to the Lord. This does not have to be a deep theological discussion. It can be a passing comment like, "God blessed us with a beautiful day," or, "Yes, I attend church on Sunday." Have the courage to express your faith in order to evangelize to others because that is why we are here as slaves to God and righteousness. We must share the Good News with all so that they too might be saved. The beauty of this is that you can start in your hometown. There is no need to go to another state or country. You can minister to those you work with, go to school with, or those who serve you coffee. The world is your mission field and it is up to you when to demonstrate your courage and live for Christ by sharing the Word.
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