But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:8 (NIV)
From time to time, you will hear people say things like, “I can’t come to church now because I am still doing wrong things.” Or, “I don’t want to deceive myself by coming to church because I know I am still involved in sin.” Others say, “I will come to church when I start doing the right things.”
They think that avoiding the house of God is the best way to become righteous. Unknown to them, God accepts them the way they are because He has already given them the gift of righteousness. Beloved, it is important to know that avoiding God or staying away from church does not make a person clean; it only makes things worse.
No one can cleanse himself by his own free will. It takes only the grace of God for a person to be put right with Him. Without the grace of God, it is impossible to do right or be righteous. The only way out is to embrace Jesus and the grace He has brought to us through His finished work.
The Bible says:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. —Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
Did you see that? God already made the provision for being put right with Him available to you. All you need to do is accept it and find rest in it, knowing well that through Christ, you are made right with God.
You might say, “But how do I continue to come to church when I am still doing wrong things?” Well, that is all the more reason why you should be in church. In church, you unlearn the wrong things you have learned over the years, and you are taught the right things.
Jesus said to His disciples:
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. —John 15:3 (NIV)
This means it is His words that cleanse a man. As you hear His words, you are washed, and before long, those wrong things become a thing of the past.
So, make a conscious decision to draw closer to the Savior and His teachings. The more you hear His words, the more you are changed into the perfect man or woman that God wants you to be. Praise God!
Today’s Rhema
No one can cleanse himself by his own free will; it is only by God’s grace, which comes as you receive and accept His Word and His providence!
Confession for the Day
I declare that my confidence is in God and the word of His grace. I refuse to trust in my own ability because now I know that only the grace of God can change a man. Thank You, Father, for demonstrating Your love towards me, in Jesus’ name. Amen!
