1 John 2:5-6 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
We will never be able to live as Jesus lived his life perfectly when he was on this earth. God does not expect that because He knows we can't live a perfect life. Our works or deeds do not save us because if we were, all of us would be lacking most drastically. Since we cannot live a life that would gain access to the Kingdom of God, then "what must we do to be saved" (Acts 16:29-31)? When Paul and Silas were in Jail, God caused an earthquake that opened the cell doors; the Jailer asked this question of the two missionaries. The Roman Jailer must have recognized this as a miracle from God, and he was most likely thinking that some great work or devout ceremony would usher him into the arms of Christ Jesus. Paul's answer to that inquiry was as simple as the Gospel of Christ Jesus: "believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved —you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
Believing in Christ Jesus
means that we believe that He was God in the flesh when He was on this earth.
We believe He was and is the promised Messiah that would come to the earth to
save the world from their sins. Believing in Christ Jesus means we seek a
constant and close relationship with Him every heartbeat. Some think they might
need to change their lives and attend church to gain salvation. However, we do
not have the ability or the capacity to change our lives; only Christ can do
that. Believing in Christ Jesus means we love Him with all our hearts, minds,
bodies, spirits, and souls. Obedience to the Word of God reveals the nature of our
relationship with Christ Jesus (John 15:14; John 14:15).
God is gradually
conforming us to the image of His Son; that is why our object should be to
"live as Jesus did." Any righteousness we have within our being is
the righteousness of Christ Jesus. We have no righteousness of our own because
self-righteousness is saying to God that we don't need the indwelling of His
Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and direct our lives; we can do that on our own. As
followers and believers in Christ Jesus, we must be ever alert to the problem
of self-righteousness. Allowing ourselves to believe that we are somehow above
being self-righteous could very well indicate that we are.
The seeds we sow as we
move down the furrows of life should bring forth the fruits of the Spirit,
love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
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