Staying Pure in an Unclean World

I am who I am

As a new believer one of the first verses I was encouraged to memorize was out of the Psalms that dealt with sin. David writes "How can a young man keep his way pure, by keeping it according to thy Word. Thy Word I have treasured in my heart so that I might not sin against Thee (Psalms 119: 9;11). Staying pure in an unclean world is tough. Staying pure is sometimes just associated with infidelity or sex outside of marriage, looking at naked images on the internet, or some other immoral behavior that goes against the principles that are outlined in our Bible. But staying pure goes way beyond those immoral behaviors. Christ commands us to be special, He calls it a Royal Priesthood. Paul further states that we are to set ourselves apart; be different. Today I was driving and a thought occurred to me about pleasing God. Can I please God? Does that go against the principles outlined in Ephesians 2:8,9? Do my works of service please God? Certainly! But, do I try to please God for the wrong reasons or selfish motives?. Will doing works of service put me in a better position with Christ? May it never be as Paul proclaims. Today as I was driving down Lejeune Blvd, I was really struggling with this idea. Why do anything that goes against the idea of grace? Can I do anything that will help me make God smile upon my life? I think the answer is no. God loves me for who I am, not who I am trying to be. No matter how many visits I make, people I witness too, or acts of service I perform. Nothing can put me in a better standing with Christ. It's the trap that all the Pharisees fell into to. How righteous can I make myself? Zero is the answer, nothing I can do will put me in a better standing with Christ. If I truly believe and accept Christ for who He is, nothing else matters. Really? Yes! I am who I am because of what Christ did on the cross. I am righteous because of his pain and suffering on the cross. The blood He shed, the body that was broken is all that needs to be done. He paid it all. Pressure off, serve because of what He did for me. Nothing earned, nothing gained, it is only by His grace I'm saved and redeemed.