Live on Purpose

You ever feel like your walk with Christ is 2 steps forward and 3 steps back? That the road is way harder than it should be? Take heart. You are not alone. I would venture to say that most of us who are on this journey – who are followers of Christ – are on the same unsteady road.

Today, I just want to encourage you. Keep at it. Keep growing. Don’t get frustrated. I know that is easier said than done, but you are not alone.

There are a couple of things that might make this easier or least more encouraging that I would like to challenge you with.

REMEMBER YOUR SALVATION. The enemy will do his best to try to get you to doubt the moment you were saved by grace. Don’t let him win. Remember the power of grace in that moment that sought you out and gave you the very thing you didn’t deserve. Righteousness of Christ. Forgiveness. Eternal life. Access to the Father. That moment when God declared you to be righteousness because of grace is called JUSTIFICATION.

2 Corinthians 5:21 He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

You now have the POSITION of righteousness that can’t be taken away. You can’t do anything to earn it so you can’t do anything to lose it. God said it and that settles it.

REMEMBER THE POWER OF GRACE. That grace that saved you has the power to cover all the sin you did and all the sin you ever will do. Don’t discount that power. It is alive and active in your life. Your encounter with grace is not a one time event. It is a daily occurrence. Thank God.

John said in John 1:16 that “we have all received grace after grace from His (Christ) fullness.”

After we have received this positional standing in Christ by grace, God then begins the work of transforming our character into the character of Christ by the power of His Holy Spirit. It is not about keeping the Law. We are free from that. It is about becoming like Jesus. It is about making an impact for the kingdom. It is about living on purpose! This is behavioral righteousness that we call sanctification.

REMEMBER IT IS A PROCESS. Sanctification is a process. Salvation happens immediately. We are forgiven and made righteous. Sanctification, though, is the work of our entire life. We constantly struggle with it. And remember ANY process is hard.

Think about it like this…My wedding day was July 15, 1995. What a day it was. On that Saturday afternoon, Nichole and I said some words like “I do” and we spoke vows and at the end of the ceremony the preacher said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife.” So I walked into that church a single man and left a husband. I was 100% a husband even though I really knew very little about being a husband. Now that was 25 and 1/2 years ago. I look a little more like a husband now than I did then. I learned some things quicker than others. Don’t mix colors and whites. Yikes. Other things, though, like being patient and less selfish are still an ongoing process. I have no doubt it will be lifelong to still learn and grow.

Your life as a follower of Christ very much mirrors this idea on a much grander scale. At salvation you were 100% made righteous. But since that moment – that day – you are on a journey to grow and learn and be more like Jesus.

So be on purpose. Be disciplined. Be active on the journey. Get in the Word. Attend a Bible-teaching church. Pray. Pursue the fruit of the Spirit. Disciple others. Share Christ.

BUT be patient with yourself. You will not be perfect. You will have days that you don’t or even don’t WANT to pursue. It is ok. Just keep grace in your mind and keep Jesus as your goal and get back at it.

Philippians 3:14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

Live on Purpose!