Can genuine believers in Jesus Christ be saved yet still live worldly?

Only God knows our hearts, but I do know I did not fully experience the peace and abundant life Jesus promises believers until I committed to surrendering my mind, heart, and daily life to Him.

I was “a believer”, but did not choose to live fully like one. For I continued to blindly believe the world’s pleasures could offer more fun. So, I lived for self, and as a result, peace continued to allude me. My vain attempts to satisfy my thirst for joy, pleasure, and contentment through worldly pursuits served only as temporary sedatives to a heart craving more than these things could ever offer.

I wouldn’t be surprised if there are other Christians who profess faith in Christ, but continue to be trapped by the world’s promises for joy over God’s.

Perhaps, this is because it’s much easier to accept Jesus’ free gift of salvation. That doesn’t cost us anything, but accepting Jesus as our Lord does. It costs us everything. For this means He is the Boss. He is the Ruler of our life, and He knows best – and this is the rub. For it requires obedience, trust, and surrender to Him over self.

At first, surrender messes with our pride and can confuse our thinking. Aren’t we to be free in Christ?

The reality is we are most free when we submit to our Creator’s purpose and design. For submitting to our own way, or anyone else’s is absolutely slavery of the worst kind. Nothing and no one will ever care for us like Christ – it’s impossible because whatever temps to attract away from Christ is evil.

Therefore, divine peace, and joy will always allude those who surrender themselves to anything other than Jesus. No amount of money, partying, possessions, power, vacationing, relationships, and intimacy can satisfy the thirst we have deep inside. Only Jesus and only our surrender to Him as both Lord and Savior can allow us to receive the full flow of His abundant life.

Being saved by grace is an awesome gift, so why wait until we die to begin living fully to the Giver? Why not begin living for Him now, and abandon the worthless things for the Greater? For the world has nothing to offer that even comes close to matching the goodness of God.

His power is enough to satisfy our mind, body, and spirit. But one might ask, if He’s so good why does He allow pain, suffering, and evil?

Because He loves us and gives us the freedom to choose.

A great illustration to this is one explanation to the existence of darkness and coldness. Dark is the absence of light, and cold is the absence of heat. Likewise, evil is the absence of God – and being given the freedom to even choose Him and His way, or not is a reflection of His love. For He doesn’t force us to love Him, or follow Him – true love does so voluntarily.

So the question is who do we love most as Christians – God, or self? Our choices tell us which is true. And until we surrender fully to Him, true peace, and contentment will continue to allude us.

Living for God doesn’t keep us from pain, problems, joy, peace, or adventure. Rather, it gives it all value and purpose.