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Rom.6:¹ “How should we respond to all of this? Is it good to persist in a life of sin so that grace may multiply even more? ² Absolutely not! How can we die to a life where sin ruled over us and then invite sin back into our lives?”

Saving faith was done outside of you yet it was for you. Saving faith is not a “performing faith”; you cannot add to what Christ has done. Saving faith is a “receiving faith”. When the life of Christ is received, then it is formed in us and then it performs through us.Paul says in Gal.4:¹⁹ [NKJV, with emphasis] “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you” because Phil.2:¹³ [NKJV, with emphasis] “…it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” God forms in us and He performs through us. We do not perform to get saved.

In the Northern part of Nigeria where I did my National Youth Service Corps, life is not as fast paced as it is in the southern part of Nigeria. One day while I was sitting outside just observing nature, I saw a mud pool with pigs in it and they were just rolling around and having the time of their life. And before long a car drove through a portion of the mud pool and splashed mud on a flock of sheep nearby. And right before my eyes something interesting happened. The sheep that had mud on them went to a nearby barbwire fence and began to rub themselves against it vigorously in an attempt to get rid of the mud

One type of animal was enjoying the mud while the other was completely uncomfortable until it eradicated the mud. So I received this instruction I am about to share with you. The Christian life is not a perfect life. But the distinguishing mark of the Christian life is war against anything and everything that attempts to soil the garment of purity. The distinctive path of a Christian is not the path of rolling in and enjoying the mud stains (sin). Rather, the Christian will not rest or sleep until the mud(sin) is off.

The distinguishing mark of the Christian life is not perfection but rather a consistent battle against anything that can contest the Christian life, anything that will put a question mark on the faith. You and I must fight anything and everything that attempts to separate us from God. We must fight anything that attempts to take charge of our destiny.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, in You I live, in You I move and in You I have my being, in Jesus Name. Amen!