PART WAYS. Mt 4:17
From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” NLT.

When you look at the description of the ministry of Jesus according to Saint Matthew's gospel, you will discover that the first message Jesus preached was about repentance. Why did he do this? He started with the message of repentance because the people needed a shift from their old way of life to a new way of life. This shift explains our topic this morning. Part ways means separate from sinful lifestyle to godly lifestyle. We need to know that sin is the thing that God wants us to separate from because with sin, we cannot walk with God. When God called us to repent, he gave us the choice of turning to him by walking with him and in turn having life through him.

The call to separation from sin is geared at putting us on the path of life that leads to heaven. Matthew 7:13-14: [13]“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. [14]But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. NLT. Now, walking with God is very important because heaven should be the goal of everyone because there is no place like the place. However, the barrier of sin must be taken away, the good news we have is that we have victory over sin through Jesus by dying for our sins and giving us life in the process. John 10:10: [10]The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. NLT. Romans 6:6: [6]We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. NLT.

Therefore, the message this morning is simple, separate yourself from sin by coming to God and let the word of God change your mindset (sinful thinking) to a godly one, Rom 12:2 and after you have given your life to him, continue to rely on Christ to have a sinless life. Galatians 5:24: [24]Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. NLT. By doing this, we will get to the point of realising our liberty in christ and that our liberty is not to serve sin but to live for him. Gal 5:13. This will make us live for God and to run from every appearance of sin. Hebrews 12:1: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. NLT.

On this note, if you are reading this and you have not given your life to Christ and you are ready to do so, say this prayer after me: Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and I will be your witness till the end. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.
God bless you.