“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” – 1 John 1:6
This one’s pretty blunt, isn’t it??? If we call ourselves a Christian or say we follow Jesus while we’re still fully engaged with sin in our lives, we’re lying! We’re lying to ourselves and lying to the world. It’s impossible to be a true follower of Jesus saved by God’s grace AND comfortable with ongoing sin in our lives.
Every Christian will slip into sin from time to time. That happens and there is limitless grace to forgive and cleanse us when we repent. Some Christians continue to walk in sin because they simply don’t know better. But if you know what you’re supposed to do (or not do) and keep on your old path, then the life of Jesus Christ probably isn’t in you. It doesn’t matter if you’ve walked an aisle, gotten baptized at some point in the past, or attend church every week. If you’re comfortably, happily, or defiantly walking in the darkness of sin, you’re almost certainly lying to yourself and others.
So, if you believe you’re a blood-bought child of God by grace through faith in Jesus, examine your life prayerfully and carefully. How closely do your thoughts, words, and actions align to the example and commands of Jesus? Is your life better aligned now than it was a few months ago? Is it increasingly aligning to Him? Are you purging sin from your life? Are you fighting against those ongoing temptations that call to you? Is there some area of your secret (or public) life that you haven’t yet turned over to Jesus to transform? If so, repent of that sin – God will forgive! Don’t continue to walk in darkness, #FollowJesus