“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:24-25 NKJV). God-given religion throughout the ages has always called upon mortals to refuse and to choose. Mother Eve did not refuse the temptations of Satan, and consequently, she chose to disobey God (Genesis 3:1-6). Even today, faced with manifold temptations in every direction in the ungodly world (2 Peter 2:5; 1 John 2:15-17), the child of God must refuse to succumb to temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13) and choose to abide in the Word of God (Romans 6:17).
The very journey to salvation requires one to refuse every sin of which one may be guilty. Following a Bible-based faith (Romans 10:17), a person must repent of past sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30). Repenting is refusing to any longer be characterized by sin. The child of God can no longer be categorized as a sinner (i.e., someone who habitually sins) because Christians no longer live the way they did formerly before obeying the Gospel. “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9 NKJV). The phrase “does not sin” is present tense in the Greek, which usually refers to a continuing action. Hence, though the child of god may commit “a sin” from time to time (1 John 1:8, 10; 2:1), sinning is not his lifestyle any longer. He has refused to continue a sinful lifestyle.
In addition, every person who would be saved must choose to obey the Gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17). This includes confessing or acknowledging before others one’s confidence that Jesus Christ is the Son of God—the Savior (John 8:24; Romans 10:9-10). Further, a person must choose to be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16).
Next, the new Christian needs to choose to learn God’s Word (Matthew 28:19-20; Hebrews 5:12-14) and apply it to his or her life (Ephesians 5:8). God the Father has chosen us from before times eternal (Ephesians 1:4; Romans 5:8), and we need to choose Him as well to have the forgiveness of sins and the valid hope of going to heaven.
It is not enough to refuse sinful practices (Matthew 25:18-25). We Christians must be proactive (James 4:17). We must bear spiritual fruit (John 15:1-8).
What is it in your life that you need to refuse? Have you made a choice to become a child of God, and are you maintaining your relationship with the Heavenly Father? Categorically, each of us must refuse and choose.
