The friend of God, Abraham, went through this test at one time. God had promised him a son and he and his wife had one in their old age, far beyond the years for either of them. When Isaac was in his early teens God tested Abraham by asking for Isaac’s life as a sacrifice. He didn’t hesitate. He knew that God had promised him many things through Isaac and if God was Who He said He was then even in death He would fulfill those promises by bringing Isaac back.
God gave His Son too. He allowed Jesus to go through all of the torture and cruelty of death on the cross just to pay the penalties for all of humanity’s sins. God did this out of His love for us, all of us, but that doesn’t mean that He is okay with our sinful lives. That is what we are supposed to repent or turn away from when we give our hearts to Jesus and ask Him to come in a change us. But today, many people seem to believe that they don’t have to do that. They want to be Christian and still practice their sins and the lifestyle that goes with them.
You have to sacrifice your old life and its sins to be a Christian. That is what repentance means. If you attempt to live both a Christian life and a life in bars or strip clubs, then you are fighting against yourself and making your “new” life meaningless. You can’t live both ways. Jesus said in Matthew 6: 24: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Being born-again means that your Spirit and your heart are made new by the working of the Holy Spirit when you become a Christian. You are to be more like Jesus every day, that is your walk and your purpose when you give your life to Him. Seek Him to be your Lord and Savior because we are living in very dangerous times and we don’t know when He may come for the church. Be ready.
The Living Message of Christ 