Counseling Through Your Bible Handbook (61 page)

“
We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin”
(1 John 5:18).

Q:
Can I continue to live a sinful lifestyle after I am saved?

A:
You cannot belong to Christ and stay in a sinful lifestyle for very long. Many people intellectually understand salvation, yet they have never yielded their will to God’s will and allowed Him to take ownership of their lives. That is why Jesus said,

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”

(M
ATTHEW
7:21-23).

Q:
If we are not saved by our works, but by faith, why does the book of James say that faith without works is dead? Does Scripture contradict Scripture?

A:
No! Scripture never contradicts itself. The primary purpose of the book of James is to communicate not
how
to be saved, but rather
what
your life will be like after you are saved. James lets us know that true faith in Christ transforms your character and your conduct. If there is the root of faith, there will be the fruit of faith. You do good works not to
become
saved, but rather because you
are
saved. Ultimately, if there are no good works in your life, then there is no authentic salvation. That is why James says:

“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead”

(J
AMES
2:17).

Some people have confusion and real concerns about whether salvation is even possible for them. They have an acute awareness of their shortcomings and feel burdened because of their failures and personal sin. Fortunately, these real concerns have encouraging answers.

Concern:
“God would never accept me. You don’t know what I’ve done.”

Correction:
The issue is not what you’ve done, but what Christ has done for you.

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst”

(1 T
IMOTHY
1:15).

Concern:
“God could never forgive all my sins.”

Correction:
God not only forgives your sins, but He also “forgets” your sins. He says:

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more”

(I
SAIAH
43:25).

Concern:
“I can’t give up my sins.”

Correction:
The power of Christ in you is bigger than the power of sin over you.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness”

(2 P
ETER
1:3).

Concern:
“I think I’ve committed the unpardonable sin.”

Correction:
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—the only unpardonable sin—is a complete and total hardening of the heart that results in an unwillingness to yield to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit and in repeatedly rejecting the need for forgiveness and reconciliation to God
⁴
(Mark 3:29).

Concern:
“I want to become a Christian, but I don’t want to make a decision now.”

Correction:
Not making a decision is still a decision—it’s a decision against Christ.

“He who is not with me is against me”

(M
ATTHEW
12:30).

Concern:
“I might be harassed or hated.”

Correction:
Every authentic Christian will be opposed and oppressed, but not overcome by trouble:

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first…If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”

(J
OHN
15:18,20; 16:33).

Concern:
“It’s too late for me.”

Correction:
It’s never too late for a heart to be humbled before God.

“Now is the day of salvation…He [God] is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance”

(2 C
ORINTHIANS
6:2; 2 P
ETER
3:9).

The ditch of doom doesn’t have to be your destiny. Your home can be heaven, and your future bright in the presence of a God who dearly loves you and has rescued you through His Son, Jesus.

1. God’s Purpose for You Is
Salvation

What was God’s motive in sending Christ to earth? To condemn you? No—His motive was to express His love for you by saving you!

“God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him”

(J
OHN
3:16-17).

What was Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth? To make everything perfect and to remove all sin? No—His purpose was to forgive your sins, empower you to have victory over sin, and enable you to live a fulfilled life!

“I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”

(J
OHN
10:10).

2. Your Problem Is
Sin

What exactly is sin? Sin is living
independently
of God’s standard—knowing what is right, but choosing wrong.

“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins”

(J
AMES
4:17).

What is the major consequence of sin? Spiritual death and spiritual separation from God.

“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”

(R
OMANS
6:23).

3. God’s Provision Is the
Savior

Can anything remove the penalty for sin? Yes. Jesus died on the cross to personally pay the penalty for your sins.

“God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”

(R
OMANS
5:8).

What is the solution to separation from God? Belief in Jesus Christ as the
only
way to God the Father.

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’”

(J
OHN
14:6).

4. Your Part Is
Surrender

Place your faith in (rely on) Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, rejecting your good works as a means of gaining God’s approval.

“It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”

(E
PHESIANS
2:8).

Give Christ control of your life, entrusting yourself to Him.

“Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?’”

(M
ATTHEW
16:24-26).

Perhaps today you realize that you have never received Jesus into your life. If you desire to be fully forgiven by God and become the person He created you to be, you can tell Him in a simple, heartfelt prayer such as this:

If you, with utmost sincerity, prayed that prayer, look at what Jesus says about you!

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life”

(J
OHN
5:24).

While at a restaurant, a friend announces, “This gift is for you!” If you don’t take it, is the gift really yours? No, if you leave the gift on the table, it hasn’t become yours yet. Likewise, salvation is a gift—it is yours for the taking, but it’s not yours until you receive it.

—JH

Matthew 7:21

John 3:16

Romans 5:8

Romans 10:13

John 14:6

Acts 4:12

Romans 6:23

Ephesians 2:8-9

1 John 5:13

Matthew 16:24

For additional guidance on this topic, see also
Forgiveness, Hope, Identity, Self-worth
.