It has been a while since I last wrote. I am sorry for that. But today I want to finish my thoughts on CHOICE. We looked the fact that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that is when our salvation HAPPENED. Then we looked at the miracle of the cross and ressurection, that is when our salvation was ACCOMPLISHED. Then we looked at the choice set before us, moved by the Holy Spirit, we make the choice to have our salvation become EFFECTIVE. Today I would like to end this thread of discussion and talk about two subjects, our growth in salvation (SANCTIFICATION) and the finalization of our salvation (GLORIFICATION).
I could spend pages and pages on our growth in salvation. Needless to say, it is a huge subject. Briefly, it is simply moving to be more like Jesus Christ, to become the person that He wants us to be, the person we were created to be. Thank God that this is not a cookie cutter shaping. Our God is incredibly creative. We see that all around us in creation and in the variety of people that He has created. Our job, so to speak, is to discover who we are created to be and to become more and more that person. And that is beause each one of us has a job to do that only we can accomplish. I love the way Paul puts it in Ephesians 2:7-10; Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing. God created each one of us to do something and in discovering who we are and what we are to accomplish, we become more and more like Jesus. That sometimes takes a lifetime.
The last part of this is really short. It is the finalization of it all, when we shall stand before our God in all His glory and in all our glory. We wait for this in eager anticipation. Paul was so in touch with this that he was willing to say with conviction, (Philippians 1:21-24) For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
My next post will be one that Joey challeneged me to do, the Top Ten Bible Verses Taken Out of Context. I will be researching that. Have a good day.
joewulf
cameronwyenberg
ryandavidtopper
dwyenberg
kjudd52
manscout
September 5, 2008 at 3:42 pm |
I’m excited to see the top ten taken out of context. Also caught that you used the Message because of the wording of that text.
Those ideas are so interesting. I remember learning about justification, sanctification, and glorification at HBU. Such cool things! Whenever they come up I get excited.