Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on The Name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”
Now that we are following Christ, we simply cannot, nor must we turn back to sin/iniquity/transgressions. No, we are not perfect yet, for we still must live our lives until God calls our names to come home. But sin must no longer control our thoughts and our lives, for we are Christ's now, having surrendered not only our hearts to Him, but our minds and our bodies to His service. We are called to separate ourselves from a worldly lifestyle and be set apart for God.
Those who say they believe in Christ, yet still live a life opposed to God and His Word, are liars: having been lied to, deceived by the devil, they lie to themselves and are deluded into thinking they are just fine, when the opposite is true. For The Word of God tells us that they will not be able to enter heaven.
Revelation 21:8
"But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
Revelation 21:27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Matthew 13:41-43
The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness. / And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. / Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters (idol worship), nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, / nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; / idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, / and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
We are called to live our faith publicly that those who see us and know us know that we are different, that they would want what we have: Joy in our salvation; Peace of mind and heart; Love for everyone; Patience to endure; Compassion for all; Goodness; Unshakeable Faith; Meekness (Strength to Withstand Silently); Temperance (Self-Discipline). Galatians 5:22-23.
Choosing to live a life that honors God is not going to be easy, nor should it be. For Christ has said that the people who choose to follow Him will also suffer for Him:
Matthew 5:10-12
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. / Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. / Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.
2 Timothy 3:12
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
1 Peter 3:14
But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, you are blessed. "And you should not be afraid of their threats, neither should you be troubled."
James 1:2
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
