for freedom.

Recently, I've been thinking about the seriousness of sin.  The truth is, the way we as believers choose to live is important.  But what I often see in the church is either a tendency toward legalism or toward rebellion.  Because many of us think that the reason we're doing what we're doing is so that we look different to the world, or so we can feel better about ourselves, or whatever.  We have lots of reasons for doing what we do.

Here's what I'm learning though: our lives are meant to be reflections of God's glory.  Of the beautiful truth of the gospel.  And we shouldn't be striving for holiness for any reason BUT our simple desire to know God better and love Him more.  Because if we really knew Him, we wouldn't be able to get enough of Him.  If we only understood that His gift of Himself would bring us true and complete fulfillment, we wouldn't need to fill our hearts, minds, lives with lesser things.

The Lord has our best in mind when He tells us in Scripture to "flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:22).  It's not because He wants to deprive us of all our "fun"-- it's because He MADE us, He saw us in our sin and sent His Son to DIE for us, it's because He knows what we need, and that is more of HIM.

Friends, there is joy to be found in this glorious truth.  If we are willing to fully trust that the Lord does want our best, that He is not only what we NEED but what we WANT, our desires will begin to align with His.  And we will experience great pleasure in obeying His commands when we recognize the seriousness of our sin, the holiness of God, and the depth of His love for us.

That's what's special about our faith.  That it absolutely is not anything like a ladder or a mountain or anything we have to work toward to "achieve".  It is a free gift, and the gift is the Giver.  We are under GRACE.  And this sets us free to love the Lord, because He is good and because we are unworthy, but we get to be in relationship with Him, we get to experience life with Him in it.

These ideas are basic and foundational, but I'm just starting to really grasp their goodness.  Brothers and sisters, I hope this encourages you!  We aren't living for the glory that comes from man.  We don't need to try to be attractive to other people, we need to LOVE Jesus.  And that means living in obedience to Him and loving His commands.  If we don't, where are our hearts fixed?