I believe in living a holy lifestyle. And I encourage other Christians to live the same way. I just don’t believe that a holy lifestyle can justify me before God.

But just because my actions cannot justify me before God does not mean that sinful actions do not have consequences. In fact, any sinful action will reap terrible consequences in my physical body.

It is not the consequences of sinful actions that I have been redeemed from. Rather, it is my sinful, fallen nature. And the fact that my sinful nature has been removed and replaced by a born-again spirit is what justifies me before God.

Now just because I have a new sinless nature (spirit) does not mean that I am immune from committing sinful actions. Christians can, and still do, sinful actions. Especially when they don’t understand God’s grace.

But when you understand God’s grace, you realize that even sinful actions cannot change the status of your born-again sinless nature.

And while your actions do not change your identity or status with God, they certainly can be an opportunity for an open door for Satan to destroy your life.

And this is why living a holy lifestyle is still important! Without a holy lifestyle, you will certainly not be living a lifestyle that you will be able to describe as victorious or joyful.

Now there are two ways to live a holy lifestyle. But there is only one way to live a holy lifestyle WELL.

One way to live a holy lifestyle is to subject yourself to a bunch of rules and regulations. Unfortunately, this way does not produce love, life, joy, or peace. Most people who attempt to live a holy lifestyle with this tactic will end up either feeling condemned, or else they will be very judgmental and unloving towards others.

But the other way is simply to “put on Jesus.”

Now before I discovered the depth of God’s grace, I thought this was an action that I had to repeat every day through my own efforts. But this is not so!

Putting on Jesus is a one-time action. You do it at the instant that you are born-again. It is like putting on a garment that you never take off.

And when you realize that you are now dressed differently than you were before you met Jesus, it begins to change the way that you conduct your life.

When you realize this change, you will stop making “provision” to fulfill the lusts of your flesh. A provision is a forethought or a plan.

When you recognize that you now have the new garment of Jesus, you will be able to draw on God’s power to make provisions for NOT maintaining your old wardrobe of the sinful lifestyle that you used to pursue.

When you discover grace, you will discover the power that helps you to live holier than you could have ever lived through rules and regulations.

And THAT’S Good News!