by Justin Barber
What is one of your favorite verses or lines from a song? I have many, but one that I think is beautifully powerful was penned by my brother Jeremy Barber and is found in my song New Life.
"How bold the man professing life While slumbering in the dark of night.
Let they who call upon the Lord make Jesus Christ their life adore."
The words issue a strong warning against the profession of life in Christ all the while deliberately living in sin. Every Christian knows the struggle of temptation and having to confess sins committed. Thank God “...he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). But the operative words would be “struggle” and “confess” which implies an acknowledgement of the sin for exactly what it is and admitting it to Jesus.
"How bold the man professing life while slumbering in the dark of night.”
“How bold the man professing life while slumbering in the dark of night.” This is similar to a warning found in Hebrews 10:26 "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” This warning chills me to the bone, because it describes my life before I became a Christian. I went to church and professed life in Christ all the while doing things I knew were were sins, but I lied to myself and those who went to church with me. I was the definition of an apostate.
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13) and so as a result we must be continually putting “...to death therefore what is earthly in you (us) (: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)
I have to remind myself that as I put to death sin in my own life I have to fill up the spot where that sin once lived so that I don’t go back to my sin. “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes.” (Psalm 119:11-12)
God Bless you all! I hope this was as much a blessing and encouragement to you as it was a warning.