You can compare our lives to a catapillar. Before we were saved to crawled around in dirt and done whatever. We even built a cocoon around us. the catapillar cocoon comes from within and our does to. We make our cocoon stronger every time we harden our hearts toward God, build up walls to protect ourselves from getting hurt, done wrong toward others, and any and every sin imaginable. As the cocoon gets stronger to protect us so does the cocoon for the catapillar. But when we get saved, God cracks our cocoon. As God works on us, then you see the wings of a beautiful butterfly start to show. Then, the butterfly is completely out of the cocoon. At this point, we as christians are totally free. But God is never completely finished with us. We will never be totally Christlike until Jesus comes back.
You have to be careful to stay in God's word, have a relationship with the Lord, do His will, and minister to others. If not you will become the catapillar again, building a cocoon around yourself.
God gave us grace for a reason.
1. produces power 2 Corin. 12:9-10
2. provides perspective 2 Corin. 4:17-18
3. promotes perserverance 2 Corin. 4:8-9
4. promotes praise (this is just what we are made for)

God's grace teaches us to (Titus 2:12-14)
1. renounce sin
2. rule self
3. respect others
4. reverence God
5. repond diligently

We dod what we do:
1. God's power will be present in us 2 Corin. 4:7
2. Jesus' life may be manifested in us 2 Corin. 4:11
3. that christ's power may rest upon us 2 Corin. 12:9

Let's live our life according to God's word and not be rules and ideas that humans have come up with. I pray for each of you to be strong and bold and take a firm stand to live a Godly life that God has called you to live. Not just live haphazardly with not goals in site. God formed each of us with a goal in mind. Be the Man or Woman of God, He formed. If God is not ashamed of you, and He calls you His child. Don't be ashamed of your Heavenly Father, to praise Him to others.
God Bless--------------------------