Can I Add Christ Without Subtracting Sin?
A study done by the Barna Group, a Christian researching firm, found that Christians were just as likely as non-Christians to do the following: Bet or gamble, visit a pornographic website, watch a sexually explicit movie, have a sexual encounter outside of the marriage relationship, steal something, consult a medium or a psychic, physically fight, abuse someone, consume enough alcohol to be considered legally drunk, take illegal, non-prescription drugs, lie, work to get even with someone who wronged them, and gossip.
Sin has genetically disposed us to be line breakers. Our rebel hearts find that living out the Christian life is hard and boring. Meanwhile, living across the line seems easy and exciting.
True, we know we shouldn’t live too far over the line. But if we’re close enough to give it a hug once and awhile, then that’s not so bad. It’s as though we think being a Christian is just about being closer to “the good side” of the line than those who are not Christian.
The Bible says otherwise.
[Jesus] died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live to please themselves. Instead, they will live to please Christ, who died and was raised for them... What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! ~ 2 Corinthians 2:15,17 (NLT)
Being a Christian is much more than not being a line breaker. Christianity is about grabbing hold of a new identity. We were once people outside of a relationship with the God of the universe, but now we are in a relationship with Him.
Such a radical relationship change requires a radical lifestyle change.
Adding Christ, therefore, means subtracting sin. That's the only math God accepts.
