Consciously or not, many people assume that being an “Inherited Christian” — a Christian by inheritance — has become the standard, so they do not use their free will rightly and responsibly, and this is extremely dangerous. They do not use their will to choose God and His Kingdom. The will that should be directed toward God instead becomes unruly. Whatever they see and consider good, pleasing, or beneficial becomes what fills their desires and longings. As a result, humans live by moving from one desire to another — money, titles, status, possessions, and various worldly pleasures. Over time, humans will become enslaved.
Because the will is closely tied to taste and appetite, the spiritual taste of believers can also be captured by the world, which is what 1 John 2:15-17 refers to as “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” At a certain point, all of these things cause the heart to no longer be directed toward God and His Kingdom. Jesus also reminds us in Matthew 6:22, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.” And indeed, many people today live in spiritual darkness, even though they are active in religious activities.
This darkness fulfills what the Bible has foretold — that people will gather teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They no longer want to listen to the truth. Therefore, if we can still hear about God, still have the opportunity to attend worship, reflections, or spiritual broadcasts, we must be grateful. Because many have already closed their ears and hearts — even among those who are active in the church, serving, or even ministers — they merely preserve inherited religious traditions without having a personal encounter with God.
Those who do not choose God and His Kingdom as the sole agenda of their lives are in a state of spiritual passivity, and that is extremely dangerous. The Bible clearly says, “You are not your own,” and, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” It is also written, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Meanwhile, 2 Corinthians 5:1-15 emphasizes that Jesus died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and was raised for them.
That means we live only for Him who died for us. There must be no other agenda besides living for Christ. The principle is clear: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” However, to reach this state requires struggle and consistent choices. God does not ask us to defend Him with violence, but by putting His life in ours, and this is the highest way to defend Christ — by displaying His character, thoughts, and feelings in our daily lives.
This is what most delights the heart of God: when we serve Him by putting on His life. Every change that takes place within us is a true act of service to Christ, and that requires us to make daily decisions. Choice after choice — even small ones — determine the direction of our lives. When the direction of our life is set toward God and His Kingdom, the color of our life will show. We may work, study, and pursue careers, but all of these must function as means to put on the life of Christ in our daily walk.
The perfection that God desires does not mean we can equal Him. Even Jesus Himself struggled, yet He obeyed the Father completely. He finished His life with the right rhythm — His every deed was always in harmony with the thoughts and feelings of God. When we live in the essence of God, we have the same rhythm: patience, understanding toward others, and acceptance of others as they are. That is true service to the Lord Jesus — and for that, we must choose. We cannot avoid choosing.