Thursday, October 19, 2017

08/03/13 Two Characteristics of a Saved Person...

08/03/13 Two Characteristics of a Saved Person...

1- He hates sin with a holy hatred, because he has come to an understanding of the nature, power, results of sin as well as the judgment and mercy of God. God instills this hatred of sin to serve as a first line of defense against temptation. When hatred for sin is diminished, resistance to temptation is lowered. The closer a believer is to God, the more he hates sin.

2- He loves others with a holy love (especially those of the household of faith), and chooses not to judge them or attack them or bear them any animosity. Instead he chooses to believe the best about others and to do unto to them as he would have them do unto him.

We "Get Them Honestly"
Of course, we get these two characteristics "honestly," because we get them from our heavenly Father. In our regeneration we are created in His image. A "Christian" who does not hate sin with a holy hatred, or love others with a holy love, is a MAN MADE Christian (which is no Christian at all), rather than a Spirit born believer.

The miracle of regeneration and being conformed to the image of God's Son is that we hate the sins we once loved. I am not talking about hating a sin that is repugnant to us, based on our unregenerate world view. For instance, there are unsaved people that hate filthy speech or deceit or arrogance or theft or lying or... well, you get the idea. Although that is the result of prevenient grace, it is not necessarily saving grace. Saving grace causes us to hate the sins we have loved.

We often see people hate certain sins in other people, but they do not hate those same sins in their own lives.

BTW, if we find ourselves not hating sin, or not hating sin as much as we should hate it, we can ask God and He will meet that need, either by doing a quick adjustment or by sending circumstances, through which we learn truth and grow in grace.

Don't forget, our hatred for sin is related to our love for God. Build your love relationship with Him and your disdain for sin will follow.

Finally, we enter into a complete hatred of sin and into perfect love when we make total commitment, expecting His blood to cleanse from all sin. After a total commitment we must follow daily in order to maintain that relationship.

12/31/13 A CONSIDERATION AND A CHALLENGE FOR THE NEW YEAR.

12/31/13 A CONSIDERATION AND A CHALLENGE FOR THE NEW YEAR. Consideration... If a coach told his team everyday that they could not win their...