Our sinful nature cries out to be part of the world system, the system God hates. We have to continue in all wholesome Christian activities until we gain the upper hand over our love of the world. Some Christians find this extremely difficult.

Our sinful flesh and soul take great pleasure in the lusts and perversions of Satan and his demons. We have to war against these continually. We have to walk so close to the Lord each day that when some lustful passion suddenly arises and seeks to bury its talons in us we are prepared to immediately call on the Lord, denouncing and renouncing this ungodly thing, resisting the devil with all the strength we have, meanwhile calling mightily on the Lord.

We are in a battle against sin, make no mistake.

The sons of God are always led by the Spirit of God to put to death the actions of their sinful nature.

Psychological relief is obtained when someone tells us that Christ has taken care of our sins and all we are to do is believe and rejoice. But this is not the scriptural way of salvation and soon we will find ourselves facing powerful temptations to sin against the Word of God.

A half-truth is a total lie. It is a total lie to tell people that once they have accepted Christ, sin no longer is an issue. As long as we live on this earth sin will be an issue.

In the beginning man chose to serve Satan. God did not send Christ to redeem us apart from any action on our part. God sent Christ so through His virtue, wisdom, and power, we can escape from the person and works of Satan and become completely immersed in the person and works of God through Jesus Christ.

God has made a way for us through Christ. Christ will not save us apart from our active response, and we cannot save ourselves apart from Christ. It is the sword of the Lord and of Gideon. God and man work together in our salvation.

How about deliverance from our self-will and disobedience to God?

It is not enough just to believe this will happen. We have to come to God several times each day to insure that we really are in His will; we truly are walking in the light.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1,2—NIV)

We can keep on believing and praising God, and these are good things to do. But we have to choose to offer our body as a living, holy, pleasing sacrifice to God.

We have to choose what to read and listen to so our mind is not conformed to the world but is transformed according to God's Word.

We have to test and approve what God's will is. If we do not do these things we will never walk in God's will.

To be continued.