Living our lives free of sin is the work of GRACE and don’t fall into the trap of thinking your salvation, or God’s love for you, fluctuates daily depending on how well you keep the law. Focus your attention on loving God and others, and you will find that keeping the law, and freedom from sin, will be a fruit, or by-product, of your relationship with God. It is not by power nor might but by my spirit says the Lord.
. We must be grounded in the truth of God’s GRACE so we don’t look at our own worthiness. Jesus is the only one who is worthy, and it’s his righteousness that we stand on, not our own. Just like the prodigal son, anyone can come back to God, and he will receive them with open arms. It's so important to keep doing the things that will feed your spirit instead of your flesh (Reading and meditating God’s Word, worship, fasting, praying in your earthly and heavenly language, etc). The Christian walk is a lifelong process of transformation, and all we can do is try to enjoy the journey. We all have good days and bad days, but just focus on developing an intimate relationship with God, and you will find that the things of this world will slowly lose their appeal.,
Jesus Christ "offered Himself without blemish to God" to cleanse our consciences (Hebrews 9:14). He paid the penalty to the fullest on our behalf. All the sins of everyone who believes are imputed to Christ, and He died for them. Jesus then rose from the dead to declare His victory over sin and death — "[He] was delivered up because or our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification" (Romans 4:25).
Furthermore, God reckons all believers righteous in Christ — He accounts Christ's righteousness to the believer. That's the truth taught in 2 Corinthians 5:21: "[God] made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
No matter how deep in the power of sin you have sunk, God’s grace is deeper still. The condemnation that Adam brought by rebellion, Christ has overcome by his perfect obedience (Romans 5:19). No matter how deep in the power of sin you have sunk in the rebelliousness of your life, in Christ grace abounded all the more in order that righteousness, rather than sin (and life, rather than death) might have the final word (Romans 5:21). In your life
Luther writes,
The Law is a mirror to show a person what he is like, a sinner who is guilty of death, and worthy of everlasting punishment. What is this bruising and beating by the hand of the Law to accomplish? This, that we may find the way to grace. The Law is an usher to lead the way to grace. God is the God of the humble, the miserable, the afflicted. . . . When the Law drives you to the point of despair, let it drive you a little farther, let it drive you straight into the arms of Jesus who says: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Luther’s commentary on the parallel passage, Galatians 3:19, pages 129–130)
Luther’s first published hymn captures the beautiful reality of the super-abounding grace of God. May his words from “the devil’s dungeon” deepen your rejoicing in the God of all grace this Halloween.
In the devil’s dungeon chained I lay,
The pangs of death swept o’er me.
My sin devoured me night and day
In which my mother bore me.
My anguish ever grew more rife,
I took no pleasure in my life.
And sin had made me crazy.
Then was the Father troubled sore
To see me ever languish.
The Everlasting Pity swore
To save me from my anguish.
He turned to me his father heart
And chose himself a bitter part,
His Dearest did it cost him.
Thus spoke the Son, “Hold thou to me,
From now on thou wilt make it.
I gave my very life for thee
And for thee I will stake it.
For I am thine and thou art mine
And where I am our lives entwine
The Old Fiend cannot shake it.
Regardless of where we live and what we are facing — regardless of how bad the situation around us looks to our natural eyes — the grace of God is flowing downstream, and God is lavishly pouring it forth in abundant measure! In fact, it is impossible for us to imagine, measure, or even dream of the amount of divine grace God is sending in our direction. No banks can hold the flood of grace He is sending our way! It isn’t just “a lot” of grace; it is more, more, more, and much more grace! The flood of grace will always far surpass the flood of sin and darkness!
Satan will try to stop you from doing the will of God, Satan will try fill your mind with guilt and condemnations but never forget that the enemy cannot prevail against you if you will only yield to the Lord. You will find that God is supplying more than enough grace to match whatever the enemy is trying to do. If you will surrender to that divine grace, it will rise higher and higher until it eventually floods every area in your life. Instead of seeing the destruction of the enemy, you will see the awesome outpouring of the marvelous grace of God everywhere you look!
Grace is freedom from sin, not freedom to sin. Enjoy your freedom, but remember you are called to a higher life and a more noble purpose. You are a child of Almighty God. You represent the King of Kings, and the Kingdom of Light, so let your life be a beacon of light, shining in a world of darkness
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