Vital signs- Saturday, July 24th, 2021

“Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

(Romans 4:8)

Some people think that if they live well, they will go to Heaven when they die. We should try to live well, but we don’t go to Heaven by the way we live. Our only hope is the truth found in today’s verse. If God imputed sin to any of us, we would never make it—none of us. Later, in Romans chapter 6, Paul addressed someone who might say in essence, “If I have grace, I can sin all that I want.” (See Romans 6:1.) But the truth is, when God saves us, He also gives us new desires. This is one of the ways we know we are His. God disciplines His children to draw us to Himself, but He does not charge our sin against us. When we are saved, we gain much more in Christ than we ever lost in Adam.

• What are some ways you’ve heard others express the idea that if people live well, they will go to Heaven after death? Have you been tempted to believe this?

• Have you experienced new desires that give evidence of your salvation? If you have not, how is God speaking to you about that today?

Take time today to journal some of the ways your desires have changed after coming to know Jesus.