A
whole new world opens up to us once we ask Jesus Christ to forgive our sins and
to be our Savior. We were formerly self-centered and myopic in our thinking,
but now He sets us free from our bondage to our self (Romans 6:22).
This
is called Justification. It is a free gift, which we do not earn, and which
happens the instant we surrender our life to Christ. We are redeemed by the
blood of Jesus, and adopted into God's family.
Glorification
is also a free gift. We receive an immortal body the moment we see Jesus (1
John 3:2). In between these two significant milestones, we walk out a life-long
process of Sanctification.
As
we work out the sanctification of our soul, let us live a life worthy of God’s
calling on us by surrendering to His will and accessing His power to live
according to His purpose for our individual life (Ephesians 4:1; Philippians
2:12-13).
In
this progression of Sanctification, Jesus conforms us to His image (Romans
8:29). He enables us to do this by His Holy Spirit within us (Philippians
2:12-13). His divine nature within us replaces our carnal nature.
We
cooperate in this process by reading the Bible every day, by attending Bible
studies at our local church, by worshipping with other Christians, by talking
to God all day long and consulting Him about His will for us moment by moment,
by telling other people about Him, and by loving Him with all of our heart.
God's
joy supplies our strength. His love flows over us like a waterfall and
infiltrates all of our human relationships. He also opens the door for us to
enjoy our current walk with Him, as well as eternity, in His presence.
Prayer:
Father God, thank You that You set us free from sin, and gave us Your new life. We are now a new creation. Help us not to be double-minded by continuing to walk with one foot still chasing fleshly desires and worldly pursuits (James 1: 8). Draw us close to You and keep us in the center of Your will.
Prayer:
Father God, thank You that You set us free from sin, and gave us Your new life. We are now a new creation. Help us not to be double-minded by continuing to walk with one foot still chasing fleshly desires and worldly pursuits (James 1: 8). Draw us close to You and keep us in the center of Your will.
Remove
any Satanic strongholds that prevent us from growing in Your grace, and keep us
safely tucked under the shadow of Your wings until we come to spend eternity
with You (Psalm 91). Thank You for causing our roots to grow deeper in Your
love, and for keeping us healthy in body, soul and spirit (3 John 1:2; Psalm
23:3).
Thought for the Day:
As
we draw nearer to God and give Him our body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:
1), He fills our life with peace that surpasses anything that we ever
experienced before in our life (Philippians 4: 7); having faith in His
faithfulness gives us the power to look beyond our circumstance to the eternal
blessings, which God produces for us through our earthly trials.
