What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Romans 6:1

 In my 30 plus years as a park ranger, I have met hundreds of law enforcement officers and got to know many of them on a friendship level. No where is it written in policy, but many officers use their position to drive faster than the posted speed limit, knowing that if they get pulled over, they can show their law enforcement badge, and will be let go without receiving a ticket. Granted, they have more experience driving, especially at faster speeds, but that still doesn’t erase the fact that many vehicle accidents occur due to speeding.

 As a child of God, do you find yourself in a position to sin freely due to your salvation experience and forgiveness of sins? There is a danger in this thinking, and you should consider the impact of your “freedom to sin” mentality.

 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? Romans 6:16

 The hallmark of a true Christian is obedience to God. Jesus Christ did not go through His painful suffering for you to find pleasure in living a sinful lifestyle. There is NO gray areas with God, you are either on fire for the Lord or cold; lukewarm and I will vomit you out of My mouth (Revelation 3:16). No child of God is perfect and will on occasion sin, but when you willingly sin, it says something about your Christian status.

 21 Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 23 And I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me you who practice lawlessness!” Matthew 7:21 & 23

 If there is one set of scriptures in the bible that should serve as a “wake up” call to people who think they are saved, it’s these verses. As noted in the above paragraph, God makes clear who His followers are…obedient people who strive to follow the commands of God. Why? Because they preserve the spirit within you and help you in your spiritual growth to live more like Jesus Christ (which is God’s ultimate expectation for His true followers).

 If you love Me, keep my commands. John 14:21

 I encourage you to make time to truly evaluate how you live your life, and seek after God’s wisdom to those areas where you’ve let sin run freely. You don’t’ have permission to sin, but are saved by the grace of God, through Jesus Christ sacrifice on the cross. Be on fire for the Lord, for there is no other way to be saved from God’s wrath than through the faith, love, and obedience of Jesus. God bless!