I’ve got good news for you.

1. You are saved by Grace. Acts 15: 7-11

2. You are made righteous through Christ. Romans 3:23 & 24, Ephesians 2:4 & 5

3. There is nothing you can do yourself, to make yourself righteous, but through Christ you can become righteous. Galatians 2:20 &21, Galatians 5:4 , Ephesians 2:8

4. When you let Christ take over your life, you will lose your sinful desires. Galatians 5:16-18.

There seem to be some confusion over this. Let me first point out that NO WHERE in these texts or any other text does it say we can do anything we please and be saved. That idea is simply not true. The Bible DOES say that Christ came and died for our sins. If we have faith and believe in Him, we are saved. If Christ had not come and died, it wouldn’t matter how sorry we were for our sinful actions, we would still have to die because of them. Christ’s death on the cross paid for those sinful actions so that when we come to Him and ask for forgiveness, He covers our sins with His blood and wipes the slate clean.

The Bible also says that we are not under the law anymore. Be careful there. That doesn’t mean it’s okay to kill, steal, commit adultery etc. Read very slowly what I am going to say next. Don’t get ahead of me.

When we give up all control over our lives and let God have control, our lives are changed. First, lets look at what giving up control means. It means going to God and asking what He wants us to do in every word and action we make. Most of us just pray a prayer, asking God to take over and then move on with our day, not giving that prayer another thought. We make all the decisions without even once asking God what he wants us to do. If we would pray before we speak, we would have fewer feet in our mouth. If we prayed before we act, we wouldn’t hurt so many people, spend money unwisely, or make so many other poor choices. God does expect us to use the brain He gave us, but He also wants us to go to Him and ask what He wants us do to. It is impossible for us to know every correct decision we must make in our lives. If we don’t consult with God how can He possibly depend on us or trust us to do His will and properly meet the needs of others? We have to give up our independent nature and submit to God. We need a constant communication going between us and our Lord.

Once we let God take over completely, He starts making changes in us. He removes those desires that are not in harmony with living for Him. He makes us a new person. When we let go of the controls God is to completing the work He started in us. He can make us become the person He planned for us to be. Therefore, our actions are now out of love for God and out of a desire to do His will. It is not out of fear of breaking a law that we do the things we do. It’s a natural way of living for us. We’re still living according to God’s law, but not because it is the law. We do it because we want to. We do it because He is creating a desire to live that way. Living any other way becomes distasteful to us. Should we ever slip up and find ourselves in need of forgiveness, He is there, ready to cover our sins with Christ’s blood. That is what I believe it means to be saved by Grace and no longer be under the law. This is Good News!