“From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” - Matthew 4:17

Do not say to yourself, “all my sins of yesterday, today and tomorrow have been forgiven me because Jesus has died for all my sin and I have been liberated; I am heaven bound by His grace”. Yes, this is true if you cherish what Jesus has done for you, and you have really made a turning point. But if you remain in sin despite the work of grace, then you are not truly saved! A lot of heinous crimes are being committed under the cover of grace; this is not good at all for the church of God. On this issue, Paul asked; “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” - Romans 6:1-2. This of course means you have to turn away from sin, after you have decided to follow Jesus. The reality is that everyone is responsible for his actions whether you know it or not. For instance, if you commit a crime in your country, you will be punished by the law enforcement Agents, notwithstanding whether Jesus died for that crime or not. Beloved, do not argue as always that punishment is given under the law, while grace comes through the shedding of blood by Jesus Christ. Jesus did not die so you may remain in sin. He died so you may truly depart from sin and repent from your old ways and then take up a new life that forbade sin. To heal your moral confusion relating to these things, read and understand the scriptures in the light of God’s self-revelation in Jesus Christ: To be in Christ is to be united with Jesus in and through the Holy Spirit.

Paul says; "I have been crucified with Christ," "and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). Elsewhere, Paul tells us that our lives are "hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3) and that we have been "seated with [God] in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6). Passages like these should not be unnecessarily over stretched; they definitely mean that, by virtue of our union with Jesus, we participate in the life of God. But this applies only to those who have been truly born of water and by the spirit - who no longer dwell in sin; because they abhor sin and live a life of holiness for God. If you are in Christ, then you cannot be an armed robber or a habitual murderer while still claiming to be saved and in Christ. That is a life of contradictions. Therefore, to be in Christ goes beyond faith; you must work out faith through works. The scriptures say; by their fruits you shall know them. What kind of fruits are you bearing? In Christ, God’s holiness becomes yours only if you forsake sin and live a life of true holiness for God. Today, the world is completely broken and shattered; why? Is it because grace abound? NOT AT ALL! Rather, the world is broken simply because those who have been saved continue to wreak havoc on nature and humanity. This is the time to face reality. Make the world a better place by saying NO to sin! Jesus is telling you today – REPENT for the kingdom of God is at hand!