Years ago, I had a few pigs, and they loved mud. The dirtier and smellier that mud hole was, the better they liked it. I would move them to a clean pen, wash them off with clean fresh water, but the first chance they got... right back into the mud. If they stayed out of the mud, I would scratch them and love them - but no way with all that stinky mud on them.
Those pigs remind me of something in the Bible.
God loves us and wants to redeem us from our old way of life and give us a new life and a new way of living.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ...
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If we admit, repent, believe and accept Jesus Christ, God forgives our sins and gives us His Holy Spirit to help us live that new life. He wants and expects change.
2 Peter 1:2-11 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (See also 1 Peter 1:2-5.)
There is a danger if we want to continue to live in that old way of life.
Revelation 14:12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
We can continue to live that
way, but God is not pleased with that way of life.
Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Philippians 1:27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, Colossians 1:10 ... so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; (See also verses 22 and 23.)
And there is also the danger that we never knew Christ or were not born again, John 3:6-7 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
We may have gone forward in church and later baptized, but we never really knew or had that personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Matthew 7:23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.
Let’s get out of the mudhole!
See you in Church next Sunday.