Living in doctrinal bubbles

Jesus came to set us free from sin (Mt.1:21). This means more than to just forgive us and save us from the punishment of sin. God wants us to actually stop sinning (1Jn.2:1). He does not want us to be bound to sinful ways (Ro.6:14). Forgiveness is instantaneous when we repent and accept salvation as a gift from the Saviour, while actually overcoming sinning is a slow, progressive process which continues throughout the rest of our life. Sadly, many people have not even heard of this possibility because their preachers have only told them about forgiveness and going to heaven.

Forgiveness will not come merely by accepting the fact that Jesus died and rose again, but only through repentance, as we see ourselves as sinners for whom the Son of God had to die, and accepting the offer of salvation as a free gift, knowing that there is no other way we could have been saved. There must be a turning away in the heart from the old sinful life to following Jesus. After that, in order to experience deliverance from sinning, we must learn to deny ourselves and obey Jesus whenever we are tempted (Lk.9:23). One of the most common mistakes Christians make is to think that God will save them by His own power, because we are totally unable to save ourselves. But if God was entirely responsible for saving us, everyone who believed in Jesus would have become like Him fully quickly! The reason why that is far from reality, and why we can observe this in us and all around us is that while God is at work inside us through the Holy Spirit, it is our responsibility to practise what we have learnt (Php.2:12,13). We all differ from one another in how much we cooperate with God, and that is what explains the differing results!

We will be shocked to find how much resistance people offer to this simple practical truth! Some people say that if salvation depended on us in any way, then it would not be grace! Some say that as we behold the beauty of Jesus in His word, the Holy Spirit will silently transform us into His image! Going with such ideas, we hear that since God has started a work in us, He will complete it! Since God has caused us to be born again and become children of God, He will also cause us to grow! We are already seated in heavenly places, aren't we? We are joint heirs with Christ, and there are mansions waiting for us in heaven!

When we read the Bible, we must make the effort to distinguish between what God has planned for us and prepared, and what we need to do to receive it. We must not take what is promised for us as if they have already become true in us. We see some people insist that certain things are true in their life, quoting verses, when everyone else can see they are not! This will not happen if we don't lose sight of what we really are in practical life, in our thoughts, words and action, and we are honest enough to face reality. It is when we see how we come short that we are drawn closer to God in greater dependence.