We haven’t “chosen life” if we’re not doing the kinds of things Moses commanded Israel to do in Deuteronomy 30:20, “loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to him.” Choosing life is not a passive experience but an active one.
“Henceforth, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness,” said Paul. It is only the rugged who will receive this crown, those who have fought and run and been tested. “The devil tempts that he may ruin; God tests that he may crown” (Ambrose).
“Resurrection” sounds good, but there is some dying that comes first. If there is anything other than God that we won’t give up, then the devil has our heart. “Give it up,” Jesus says. “Hold on to it, and you will die. But die, and you will live.”
Baptism isn’t just about joining the “right church” — it marks a deeper transformation. True repentance means turning to God, seeking forgiveness, and living a new life. The gospel calls for a complete change of heart, not just religious affiliation.
God will help us, obviously, but the process of renovating our character cannot take place without our active engagement and obedience. We must not only be willing to have our imperfections removed; we must exert ourselves in that direction.
When the gospel is rejected, it is Jesus Himself who is being refused. So let’s look at our situation clearly: our eternal destiny hinges on our response to the person of Jesus Christ. How we respond to Him is the most important thing about us.
In a world of obstacles and temptations, we could not survive without the help God gives us in Christ. Peter wrote of those “who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5).
Believing is not a simple one-time decision after which we drift through life automatically. It is a soul-deep dependence on the Father who has loved us and saved us. To believe is not only to believe, but to take the risks that only trust will take.
If we preserve our flattering self-image with denials of the truth, there is nothing but death in that cave. To be forgiven, we must come out of hiding. In Jesus Christ there is life — but it is only in the light of truth that we can live.
If commitment, confession, and repentance are not a part of our daily walk with God, we need to go back and remember the “death” we died when we were baptized. If at that time we did not honestly decide to turn our backs on sin, we need to do so.
We haven't "chosen life" if we're not doing the kinds of things Moses commanded Israel to do in Deuteronomy 30:20, "loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to him." Choosing life is not a passive experience but an active one.