When Paul was in prison, do you think Paul was happy? When peace of mind is based solely on circumstances, depression is the ultimate end for all. A mind-set of glorious joy can only begin with a proper understanding of God’s glorious grace. Understanding peace with God, fully understanding, comprehending, appropriating and appreciating peace with God is that which allows the peace of God to rule our minds. Therefore, we need to govern our emotions. Grace is the fountain head of joy. The criteria for salvation is repentance and repentance means turning away from sinning or, at least, a commitment to turn away from your sinning. This is what is commonly taught from the pulpits across the country, from the pulpits of pastors who REFUSE to acknowledge the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:18-21. Has sin been taken off the table of God’s justice through Jesus’ death for those sins according to the apostle Paul, or has it not?
Now, how many people not understanding Justification or Sanctification will look at 1 Corinthians 9:27 and say, “See there! If you don’t live right, if you just let that flesh run wild, why, you’re going to be a castaway, you’re going to lose your salvation.” They take one passage while ignoring everything else, out of its context. A passage out of its context is a pretext, and so their pretext is you can lose your salvation which is foolishness. How many of us share Paul’s concern today when it comes to the life we live out of appreciation, not out of apprehension, or out of an attempt to earn a more righteous standing before God? What Paul is telling us here is not how he set himself apart in order to gain a greater righteousness before God through his performance, but how he made his life-style (to the best he could) conform to who God has already made him to be in his sanctified or set-apart identity being joined to the Savior that he might more affectively reach others. That was Paul’s key motivation. There is a vast difference in those two motivations.
Now, how many people not understanding Justification or Sanctification will look at 1 Corinthians 9:27 and say, “See there! If you don’t live right, if you just let that flesh run wild, why, you’re going to be a castaway, you’re going to lose your salvation.” They take one passage while ignoring everything else, out of its context. A passage out of its context is a pretext, and so their pretext is you can lose your salvation which is foolishness. How many of us share Paul’s concern today when it comes to the life we live out of appreciation, not out of apprehension, or out of an attempt to earn a more righteous standing before God? What Paul is telling us here is not how he set himself apart in order to gain a greater righteousness before God through his performance, but how he made his life-style (to the best he could) conform to who God has already made him to be in his sanctified or set-apart identity being joined to the Savior that he might more affectively reach others. That was Paul’s key motivation. There is a vast difference in those two motivations.