Yes, Christians, Our Behavior Does Matter - Part 2

So, Jesus is our Savior.  Our sins are forgiven.  And we have assurance we are headed to Heaven.

What a perfect position to be in!

But our behavior still does matter.  Quite a lot, actually.  Here are 5 reasons why...

[1]  The Lord Himself now lives in our hearts.  When we say "Yes" to Jesus, His spirit takes up residence within us.  That makes our bodies a walking, talking temple where He abides 24/7.  Righteous living keeps His dwelling in our lives a pleasant experience for Him.  1 Corinthians 6:19 states "your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you..."

[2]  We have been bought by our Lord, and we belong to Him.  God sent His Son, Jesus, to die on a cross and to pay for our sins.  He paid a HUGE price to rescue us.  And because of that, He owns us.  But it is a good thing to be owned by God.  It means He claims us, protects us, provides for us, treasures us, and forever will keep us.  It also means that we are now to live righteously for Him rather than unrighteously for ourselves.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states "You are not your own; you were bought at at price.  Therefore honor God with your bodies." 

[3]  We will stand one day before our Lord and be judged for what we did with our salvation.  Christians, when we die, we will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ.  Now this judgement will not determine whether or not we get into Heaven.  That matter was already settled when we accepted Jesus as our Savior.  The Judgment Seat of Christ is where we will give an account for how we lived our lives after we got saved.  It is also the place when we will find out if we will be given any rewards to enjoy in Heaven.  2 Corinthians 5:10 states, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." 

[4]  We prove our love for our Lord when we live for Him.  Love is more than lip service.  Talk is cheap.  It's actions that demonstrate where our heart is.  Nothing expresses our love for Him more than living righteously for Him.  John 14:23 is where our Lord states, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching."

[5]  We are called by God to imitate Him with right living.  When our lives reflect Him, holiness abounds in our thoughts, words, and deeds.  It's everywhere!  And this pleases Him greatly.  1 Peter 1:16 is where our Lord states, "Be holy, because I am holy."

Yes, Christians, our behavior does matter.  Our lifestyle should be one of righteousness.  No, we're not perfect.  We do struggle.  But overall, our lives, from the inside out, should be more and more like that of Jesus.  God calls us to do this, and the best thing is, He enables us to do it.

Let's live for Him today!