The angel gave a message that the risen Jesus would meet the disciples back in Galilee. (Mark 16:7) In Galilee, the disciples quickly began the work of the old life. Jesus arrived to find Peter and the boys fishing once more. After all the great events in Jerusalem, note how easily they went back to the old life. This is not a condemnation of fishing or any other way of making a living, but a demonstration to us that we need Christ and His Holy Spirit always lest we slip back into that old life.
While our salvation is assured in Christ Jesus, we have a tendency to the ol' backsliding into sin. Every bad habit and addiction shares this tendency. Have a bad day at work and there it is, waiting with open arms to welcome back the former sinner. Stop praying for a few days and Mr. Old Life wants to call you buddy again. Give the word of God naught but a passing glance for a few weeks and the old gang of sins stops in for a welcome back party. So...that means all I have to do is pray and read the word each day and perfect sinless life here I come? That sounds much like the answer the Pharisees found: read the scriptures, obey the rules, walk the narrow path each day, and it doesn't hurt to use the Law and our traditions as a bat to beat folks with eh'? If those pious Pharisees of old had the answer, why was our Lord Jesus so hard on them?
That tendency to sin must be rooted out by the Lord's dear Holy Spirit working in us through a lifetime. His work of sanctification goes on until the Lord Jesus welcomes you and me into His heavenly home. Not one of us can qualify under the Law by our efforts. Avoiding sin is good, doing good works is better, but our hope of sanctification lies right where our salvation does: in Christ alone!
Bucky
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