Are we getting stagnant?

Sometimes lack of clear teaching or wrong teaching gives people the impression that they are safe and secure after whatever experience they have had already, and they lose motivation for pressing on and making further progress. Perhaps the most common mistake people make in this way is to assume that now that they are 'saved', everything is OK. They have been told that they have 'eternal life' that cannot be lost, and they imagine that this means that how they actually live will have no consequences. Some others are thinking that Jesus who has started a good work in them will make sure to complete that work in them, and that they only have to believe in Him.

If our salvation cannot be lost no matter what we do, what is the meaning of, for example, "Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God" (He.3:12)? It is very clear here that we can fall away from God if we allow unbelief to take over our heart. Or, if Jesus is going to do everything for us and we only have to believe in Him, all the exhortations we have in the New Testament to do what we need to do from our side become meaningless! For example, if we just believe that Jesus has given us rest from our works, what does it mean to be diligent to enter into that rest (He.4:11)?

We know we have to see ourselves as sinners in front of the holy God and go on to receive the salvation that He is offering freely to those who believe in Jesus as their Saviour. But then, how do we actually receive this salvation except by turning away from our past sinful life, and learning to depend on the forgiveness that the Saviour has brought through His death on the cross?

After God has made us right with Him by His grace and through our faith, don't we have to follow Jesus and become more and more like Him? If this has to actually happen in our life, don't we need to deny ourselves whenever we are tempted to please ourselves and then actually do what God wants us to do (Lk.9:23)?

Don't we need to start this journey with Jesus by getting baptised in water and identifying with His death and resurrection (Mt.28:19,20)? Don't we need to wait on Him to fill us with the Holy Spirit and receive power to do His will (Ac.1:8)? When the Holy Spirit gives us different spiritual gifts, don't we need to recognise our responsibility to function in that capacity and serve Him as members of the body of Christ (1Co.12:7).

As we live our lives under God's watchful eyes, don't we become aware of more and more sinful, selfish tendencies in us that we were unaware of earlier, and don't we need to respond by overcoming them as we receive that light?

As children of God, don't we see our responsibility to reach out to other people, share the Gospel with them, and help them in the different parts of their life as God burdens us and equips us?

What an active life we have, and then how can we afford to get stagnated?