Salvation First and Then Obedience

Obedience comes after salvation not to become saved. If Christ didn't pay it all with His brutal death on the cross then how could any wretched man pay any part of his salvation.

We cannot save ourselves through our own works and we can't keep our salvation by our own works.

 
If the death of Christ, the Perfect Sacrifice for sin, on the cross was not enough to cover the sin of the world then there is no hope that a wicked human being could do anything to save himself or keep himself saved.

1 John 2:19 "They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them were not of us."

When Christ paid the price for our sins and He saved us because we repented and desired to be changed by HIm, that was all that was needed. No work of ours could match what Christ did on that cross.

 
It is Christ we depend on and believe when He said; "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

There is Either Growth or Regression, no In-Between

Those who can welcome correction as an opportunity to learn and become stronger will live a fuller and more joyful life. They do not fear the opinions of others or see correction as a personal attack, because they are willing to see themselves in reality and make changes as needed.

 
When you meet someone who cannot admit flaws and faults you will find yourself being in constant suspicion by the one who cannot tolerate seeing themselves in truth, you are watching someone who lives a lie, deeply committed to their false self.

 
The reasonable one will always be the one who is hated and demeaned by those who love their false superiority, and lack of authenticity. The burden of carrying the weight of the truthful one, is exhausting when with those who live a genuine existence based on Bible truth.

 
Those who can't admit their wrongs remain spiritual and emotional infants, not only not changing but regressing into child-like responses to small matters, growing worse as they age.

 
Accepting blame is a threat to the identity of those who protect their false image. They are deeply fragile, the very reason they cannot look at themselves in truth. They must always protect their fragile fantasy about themselves.

 
The mark of real wisdom and maturity is one who seeks after truth even if it proves them wrong or exposes a fault.

 
Proverbs 3:11-12
"My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke; for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights."

If you wish to grow in holiness and all the other fruit of the Spirit, then you must ask God to show you truth. Let Him reveal all the flaws and failures within ourselves so that we will correct whatever is false.

 
Those who will not self-reflect and admit to flaws will lose the most valuable thing anyone can have and that is the pursuit of truth.

 
Those who cannot express sorrow over their flaws are walling themselves off from Spiritual and emotional growth. They do not go stagnant, but even worse they regress.

 
Mark 4:25
"For whoever has will be given more. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Proverbs 9:9
"Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning."

Isaiah 55:7
"Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon."

Love is not Conditional to Performance

We will never be perfect no matter how much we fail to be perfect Godly people will love us they will accept us, going through all that we have to go through, whether it is confession of sin and forgiveness or joy for holiness. Those who cannot love someone unless they are perfect, do not love at all.

Love is not about performance, it is about caring more deeply about someone than we do ourselves, willing to come alongside one another.

 
In trials we uphold one another, in repentance we forgive one another, even weeping with those who are seeking cleansing, and we are full of joy at the successes of those we love.

 
Only those who are jealous demean those who are suffering, hold past forgiven sins against those they hate, and do not celebrate the wins of others. These are those who want those for whom they have contempt, to fail to elevate themselves. They are full of wrath when their target does not fail. This is the mentality of the devil who influences those who are walking in the flesh, those who need to become born again for all of these satanic tactics to be expunged from their hearts.

A born-again believer could never walk consistently influenced by he devil. Their heart has been changed into one of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) They have the deep love of Christ within their souls and would never be comfortable treating someone so disrespectfully. If they fell out of weakness they would quickly confess it to be cleansed moving on to become more holy.

 
Thank the Lord for the born again believer who walks uprightly desiring to be pleasing to God full of His love toward everyone.

Expect Disrespect When You Speak the Truth

The Sinful Nature is the Problem

It is not particular sins that send someone to hell it is their sinful nature that can only be changed by Christ when they trust in Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6
"5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight."

We cannot make our own path straight by trying to be good. It is only Christ Who is good.

He changes us into a new creation when we trust Christ. We no longer think the way we used to think as a sinful man tainted by worldly emotions.

 
Jeremiah 17:7-8
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. / He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit."

Psalm 37:3-5
"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. / Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. / Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it."

Isaiah 26:3-4
"You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You. / Trust in the LORD forever, because GOD the LORD is the Rock eternal."

Those who are driven by emotions are not trusting in Christ, they are depending entirely on themselves falsely believing that they deserve what they want the way they want it.

 
Philippians 4:6-7
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. / And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

What a blessing it is to know that Christ does all the work in us, redirecting us when we stray from truth and blessing us with wisdom when we ask for it.

 
James 1:4-6 "…4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.…"

There is no excuse for the born-again believer to not understand the truth in God's Word. God said clearly that all we have to do is ask Him and He will not disappoint. However, we must admit we don't know everything and that He does know everything, submitting to Him when He speaks.