Are You Living Life or just Managing Sin?

I’ve observed that many Christians believe if they stop doing bad things (drinking beer, looking at porn, sneaking a smoke...) they have a chance of going to heaven.

They are "sin managers."

They don't talk too much about their faith in the positive, what they believe or what they do. Instead they talk quite a bit about their faith in the negative, what they do not believe and what they do not do.

Just avoiding sin does not help you become what God wants you to be. Even if you manage your sin really well you might still never reflect the character of God (justice, mercy, faithfulness...). You might never live guided by The Spirit and produce its fruit (love, joy, peace...).

If your greatest hope is when you come to the gate of heaven there will be more points for you than there are strikes against you and somehow you'll get in, I have news for you.

God has greater plans for you than that.