What shall we do that we might be good Christians? Just believe in Jesus Christ, He will make us good. But He will do this in His own time because our times are in His hand. (Psalm 31:15). “(God) has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

“In (God’s) presence is fullness of joy; at (His) right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11). However, our sins separate us from God. (Isaiah 59:2). They prevent us from having a relationship with Him.

Sin is not just wrong-doing, it is wrong-being. It makes us like Satan and not like God. Accordingly, the moral miracle of Christ’s redemption is that it bequeaths us with a new disposition whereby we can live godly lives.

Redemption means that we receive through the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit, a new and unblemished nature fashioned according to the beatitudes of Christ. This means salvation is not only about going to heaven. Salvation means we can now be holy, just as the Lord our God is holy.

Jesus Christ is mighty to save. The Bible reveals: “He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25). Accordingly, His salvation gives us the ability to stop stealing, to stop telling lies, and to stop fornicating.

“It is God who works in (us) both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13). Our part is to work out by faith what God has worked in.

The magnificence of our redemption is that through it: “God has united (us) with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and He freed us from sin.” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

It is finished

Jesus has done it for us. Be of good cheer, He has overcome the world, for you and me. He has abolished death, for you and me. He has broken the power of sin, in you and me.

What then do we need to do? Just believe!

The reason why we keep condemning ourselves when we fall into sin is that we still do not believe that our redemption is the work of God and God alone. The Bible says: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1).

Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? Even the devil cannot in this dispensation of grace as he did with Job. So, do not condemn yourself. Believe in the gift of Christ’s redemption. Jesus is at work in us. Let us just walk with Him and He will perfect us.

The unshakeable promise of God says: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18).  

Hindrances

Stop hindering Jesus Christ. As long as we insist on doing it ourselves, as long as we continue to try and make ourselves right with God by ourselves, so long will we continue to frustrate ourselves. We can only be right with God if we accept the atonement of Christ as an absolute gift.

Are you humble enough to do this? Then resign every claim, cease from every effort, leave yourself entirely in God’s hands. Jesus is not going to save us from our sins. He has already done so. Peter says: “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” (2 Peter 1:3).

Do you believe that? The Lord has already given us all that we need to be partakers of his divine nature. Jesus says: “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38).

A river touches places that its source knows nothing about. It is victoriously persistent. It is unrelenting. It overcomes all obstacles and barriers.

Jesus says if we have received of His fullness, out of us will flow the rivers that will bless others to the uttermost parts of the earth. The work of God is that we believe this, even if we cannot see it. God rarely allows us to see how great a blessing he has transformed us into.

Jesus says: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). But we can do all things through Him which strengthens us. Philippians 4:13).

We are already receiving all the enablement of God that we need. The Bible affirms that we are: “being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:11).

Thus, our fig tree will bear figs, as long as the word of God is planted on the good soil of our hearts. God will not be glorified if we endeavour to do it ourselves. We cannot, in any case. If we keep trying, we will just continue to knock our heads against the wall.

Unbelief

Is there anything about our lives that we think God cannot change? That is precisely the problem. The Bible says in Nazareth: “(Jesus) did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13:58).

God can do no mighty work in us if we do not believe He can. But “Christ says ‘Yes’ to all of God’s promises. That’s why we have Christ to say ‘Amen’” for us to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Listen to this promise. God says to Rebecca: “Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:23).

That speaks to our nature as new creations. Two nations are in our wombs. The old man is represented by our flesh. The new man is represented by our regenerated spirits. These two natures are at war in us.

“For we naturally love to do evil things that are just the opposite from the things that the Holy Spirit tells us to do; and the good things we want to do when the Spirit has His way with us are just the opposite of our natural desires. These two forces within us are constantly fighting each other to win control over us, and our wishes are never free from their pressures.” (Genesis 5:17).

Nevertheless, God promises that what is born of the Spirit shall overcome, subdue, and lord it over, what is born of the flesh. In the end, what is born of the flesh will die, but what is born of the Spirit will live forever.

“And so, all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.’” (Romans 11:26-27). CONCLUDED.

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