Have you ever wondered why it’s so important to resist Satan and reject sin? Usually we talk about this in terms of avoiding punishment. We tell people not to sin so that they won’t go to hell, face punishment or be judged by God. Even in the practical sense we try to explain the dangers and pitfalls of doing what we know is wrong, we use the negative in an attempt to bring about a positive. While punishment, judgment and hell are all very real things that need to be taught, preached and talked about, what is important to learn is that love can’t be harvested by planting fear and truth doesn’t grow simply because lies have been exposed. What we don’t talk about often enough is that obedience doesn’t just avoid punishment it produces rewards. In Revelation 2, Jesus sent a message to the church at Thyatira. He told them that they had tolerated a woman to live in and teach a false doctrine that was producing sin. Jesus shared a call to repentance and a warning of judgment, but then He made a promise, that those who had not entered into this sin and believed this doctrine would be invited into a deeper relationship with Him. Have we ever stopped to realize that the avoidance of sin creates a deeper intimacy with Jesus? There is no sin in Him and so, when we choose sin, we are, whether we are willing to accept it or not, pushing Him away. Tonight, we will dig into the truth that our call to holiness is a call to intimacy, that Jesus doesn’t just take away our punishment, but He offers us the reward of an untarnished relationship with Him.