11Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Romans 13:11-12
What a moment "When we first believed"! Every Christian has a salvation testimony of when they first believed and Christ Changed their life forever.
I have never met a Christian who told me they have had a perfectly easy life since believing in Christ.
No, God does not promise us prosperity in this life if we place our trust in Him. He promises us new life and a hope everlasting, but it was not cheap it cost the sacrifice of His son.
Likewise, the free gift of salvation accepted through faith in Christ is not without sacrifice. It demands our old lives which means surrendering our selfish personal passions.
When someone first believed God did a miracle! He made them a whole new person. Not just someone who is trying to change what they once were like, but a whole new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)! The lusts of the flesh are still prevalent and tempting, but no longer controlling.
Through the blood of Jesus Christ sin holds no power over us any longer! Praise the Lord! It is time that we stand up and be who we are intended to be. To live as the new creation that all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ are.
The time is over due to Make War against the evil desires of our flesh.
The battle rages every day. It cannot be won on our own. Only through the power of Christ can we choose to "...cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light"
Maybe God is not asking you this Christmas what you will give, but what are you willing to GIVE UP to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
For further reading on the "Cost of Discipleship" check out Luke 14.
May our goal be that we go to sleep tonight knowing God better than when we woke! Shedding our old selves, being imitators of Christ, and seeking first the kingdom of Heaven!
