The Clean Life is the Good Life
Despite all of the jokes and snide remarks made by some about living a moral life, Christians should be confident that the clean life is the good life. A pursuit of purity and godliness certainly does not promise that there will be no problems or exempt anyone from illnesses, but we can be assured that we are within the will of God when we follow His ways. Also, living the clean, godly life helps to shelter us from some of the mess in this world. We may not be able to dodge it all, but we can dodge a lot of it when we remain faithful to the Lord.
Think of those you know who have operated outside of the Lord’s will for their lives. You know those folks who have slept around, shacked up, become addicted to alcohol, are hooked on drugs, party all the time, and those who lie, and cheat, and steal, etc. Many of us know these folks up-close-and-personal. We may be related to them or work with them. These types of sinful behaviors are not just “religious stories” intended to make people feel guilty. As a matter of fact, the consequences of these actions are all too real. When sensual and selfish desires control us, there is nothing but heartache and misery for ourselves and others around us. The proof is in the puddin’, as they say.
Recently, many of our scriptural lessons have conveyed the theme of confronting sin, in our own lives and in our church. Now, to the unbeliever that may sound negative or even absurd, but for Christians that have any spiritual understanding and maturity in the faith at all, we grasp the practical wisdom of stopping sin before it mushrooms into something much worse. Sin breeds sin. So, it is very much a positive thing to learn from the Lord how to confront and defeat sin in our lives and in the lives of those we love and appreciate. Fighting sin (living the clean life) is the responsible and loving thing to do.
Keep fighting sin! Don't let others get you down. Live the clean life, and be happy in the Lord. That is the only true happiness that exists.