Living Up To The Promises We Made When Saved – Sunday Thought For The day

It is accurate to say there are Christians who struggle to keep the promises they made to God when they were first saved.  In the 7th chapter of Joshua, we read the reason Israel was unable to be victorious against Ai after having triumphed against Jericho.

In the lest sentence of verse 12 of the 7th chapter we read: “…Neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.” (KJV)  In last sentence of verse 13 we read: “…There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.” (KJV)

Israel was unable to have victory because Achan had secretly disobeyed God by bringing some of the spoils from Jericho into his tent and hiding them there.  No one else knew the forbidden things were there; but, God did.

By comparison we suffer the same fate, i.e., not living a victorious life, when we harbor secret sin(s) in our lives.  When we’re saved, 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (KJV)  We cannot be a new creation if we’re secretly holding onto the old sinful ways and things of the past.

We cannot live our lives doing the same things we were doing before we accepted Christ.  When we accept Christ as our Savior, we’re too begin growing in Christ as a “new creation.”  We cannot grow in Christ if we’re still secretly or even overtly doing the same things we did before.  We cannot enjoy a victorious life in Christ when we remain bound to the sinful life of the past.

Being saved doesn’t mean we won’t still sin, but our walk and relationship with Christ is a growth process such that when we sin, to the best of our ability we confess it and ask forgiveness, asking God for victory over it.  Our relationship with Christ is such that even though in our human frailty we will sin, we abhor that part of ourselves and by the power of the Holy Spirit and our new life in Christ, our upmost desire is to live shameless before our Father in heaven.  We won’t be perfect, but that must be our desire.

We want to put behind us the wicked things of the past and move forward in Christ Jesus.  As the Apostle Paul said: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, … I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14 KJV)

Let us not be like Achan and seek to hide our disobedience and desire for that which is forbidden. Achan’s disobedience not only led to his death, but the death of his family and the destruction of everything possession he owned.  Let’s determine and commit to live for Christ in truth, not just as actors.  Remember the enemy of our souls is not only a liar, but he is an actor and deceiver.

READ:

Colossians 3:5-17 (KJV)

5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.