I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.** Romans 6:19-22 (NIV)**
If we are a child of the King, we are to walk as one. Indeed, if we claim faith, we are to flesh it out. Jesus never intended for us to remain the same. We are all to be in the process of becoming more and more like Jesus and He uses everything He allows in our lives towards this great end. John writes in 1 John 2:5B-6 (NIV): “This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” Jesus was to be the Firstborn among many brothers, Scripture states. And if we are still living, He is still working on us. None of us is there yet.
It is also God’s desire for us to seek more fervently and diligently the eternal things of heaven rather than the temporal and perishing things of this world. The world will tell believers they can be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good but the Bible contends the opposite. Those that remain more worldly/earthly minded are neither earthly nor heavenly good. Scripture tells us to set our hearts and minds on things above, not overly loving this passing world. Indeed, God gives us pleasures in abundance here for our enjoyment and simply from the sweetness of His heart. He is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. Yet, we are not to live for these things from His Hand rather simply enjoy them. As pious Job stated after he lost everything, including his ten children in Job 1:21-22 (NIV): “and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.’ In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.”
The saved soul seeks to not only avoid the sin but also hates to offend the Lord of hosts and further desires to please Him. Holiness does not simply consist of the restraint of wrongdoing but seeks obedience to God’s Word and ways knowing God’s way is always for our best. He is our King and we are to desire to please Him in all we say and do and think through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit residing in every believer. God is desirous for us to look more and more like Jesus – walking as He walked to turn hearts to Him, not to us. He must become greater and we must become less as the Baptist stated. More of Him and less of me.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.** Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)**