For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
Romans 5:19
Is the Gospel too good to be true? The idea that we can be right with God simply by confessing and believing (not by our works) seems so unbelievably gracious that religious leaders at Jesus’s time were appalled by it.
Regardless of how shocking it is, it’s true. The moment we accept Christ as our Saviour, right standing with God becomes ours.
You might be thinking, “Are you saying that if someone comes to Christ when their life is a mess, they don’t need to clean any of it up to be a Christian?”
That’s exactly what I’m saying.
That being said, as people realize the kind of life they can have when they live it God’s way, they’ll gradually stop wanting to live a sin-filled life. In fact, that’s our goal as we come alongside new Christians. Through our example, we can shine a light on the incredible life they could be living!
We can also introduce them to the power they have in Christ to change. You see, without Christ, people have no power to live right. That’s why it’s so unreasonable to expect non-Christians to clean up their lives before coming to Christ. That’s like asking someone to drive their out-of-gas car to the gas station to fill it up! But once we give our lives to Christ, he fills us with his grace. The more we learn about God and his love for us, the more we access his phenomenal power to change.
And remember, YOU have this power to change because you are right with God in Christ!