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A Holy Life

by L. R. Shelton, Jr.

A HOLY LIFE always follows true conversion because it is the LIFE OF GOD in the soul. If this holy life does not follow the salvation that we profess to have, it is not GOD'S salvation; for Christ cane to save His people FROM their sins and not IN their sins! (Matt. 1:21).

A HOLY LIFE must follow the salvation that God gives in Christ or God's purpose in saving us would be defeated; and this cannot be, for we read in Eph. 1:4: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be HOLY and without blame before him in love."

A HOLY LIFE must follow the salvation that God gives in Christ or God's purpose in calling us would be defeated, and this cannot be, for we read in I Thess. 4:7: "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but to HOLINESS."

A HOLY LIFE must follow the salvation that God gives in Christ, or God's will would be turned aside, and this cannot be, for we read in I Thess. 4:3: "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification."

A HOLY LIFE must follow the salvation that God gives in Christ, or God's grace would not reign in the believer's life, and this cannot be, for we read in Titus 2:11-12: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." Also Rom. 5:20-21 declares, "... but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might GRACE REIGN through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

A HOLY LIFE must follow the salvation that God gives in Christ, for the God Who cannot lie (Titus 1:2), said, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (II Pet. 1:4).

A HOLY LIFE must follow the salvation that God gives in Christ or God Himself is unholy, and that cannot be, for we read in I Pet. 1:15 -16: "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation [behavior]; because it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy."

A HOLY LIFE must follow the salvation that God gives in Christ or the eternal purpose of God for us in Christ would be defeated, and this cannot be, for we read in Rom. 8:29: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON."

And the only way that we can be conformed to the image of Christ is in holiness!

A HOLY LIFE must follow the salvation that God gives in Christ or Gal. 5:24 would be wrong, for we read: "And they that are Christ's HAVE crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts."

A HOLY LIFE must follow the salvation that God gives in Christ or Gal. 6:14-15 is wrong, for we read: "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature."

And I could go on with Scripture after Scripture showing you that a HOLY LIFE must follow the salvation that God gives poor sinners in the Lord Jesus Christ. But this is enough to show us that sanctification is a vital part of our salvation and that if we are not made partakers of God's holiness, we are not saved, for "without holiness no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). Therefore, a man who has just a profession of life without genuine fruit of the Spirit, my friend, is living in the sin of hypocrisy! We may say we are acquainted with justification and forgiveness of sins, but if we are not acquainted with the other part of God's salvation which is holiness and sanctification of life, then we are not saved! No matter how much we have believed, embraced, or what experiences we may have had, if we are not being progressively sanctified by the grace of God, by the work of the Holy Spirit working in us, we are not saved; we're living in the sin of hypocrisy; we have PROFESSION WITHOUT LIFE, we have nothing but hell still in our souls, and Christ is not ours! Therefore, I ask this important question: Have you and I "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph. 4:24)?


Taken from Profession of Christ Without Life Exposed/Possession of Life in Christ Explained


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