Lent - Day 38 (April 2)

Larger Catechism – Day 38 of Lent

Question 80:  Can true believers be infallibly assured that they are and will remain in a state of grace, persevering to salvation?

Answer:  Those who truly believe in Christ and try to walk in good conscience before him may be infallibly assured that they are and will remain in a state of grace, persevering to salvation. This assurance is not the result of any unusual revelation but comes from faith grounded on the truth of God’s promises and from the Spirit, who gives believers the spiritual insight into their own hearts, to which these promises are directed.  The Spirit also testifies with their spirits that they are the children of God.

It is important that those who follow Christ have the assurance that they are saved.

Here in the United States it is becoming more challenging to follow Jesus and the scriptures.  The culture around us does not honor the things we honor, treasure the things we treasure, or believe the truths that we believe the Bible call us to believe.  It is likely that the divide between Christ’s followers and our culture will continue to widen.

In no way am I equating the situation in the United States with those areas of the world where Christ’s followers are being put in prison, tortured, disowned by their families or killed.  Those things are true persecution.  What we are experiencing is a minor inconvenience compared to what others are experiencing.

1 John 5:13 says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

First century followers of Christ were experiencing severe persecution.  God wanted them to know that they had eternal life.  It was comforting for Christ-followers to know where they would spend eternity as they were facing death, torture or prison.

A few weeks ago some Egyptian Christians were beheaded in Libya.  Kneeling in front of their captors before their deaths must have been terrifying.  I hope that the Holy Spirit caused each of them to remember 1 John 5:13 in those horrible moments.

Do you know for sure that you have eternal life?  If not, there is something you can do to remedy that situation.  Bow your head.  Close your eyes. And ask Jesus to forgive you for your sins and to come into your life as Savior and Lord.  He is waiting.  He wants you to know where you are headed for all eternity.

Lent - Day 37 (April 1)

Larger Catechism – Day 37 of Lent

Question 77:  What is the difference between justification and sanctification?

Answer:  Although sanctification is inseparably joined to justification, the two are distinctly different. In justification God imputes the righteousness of Christ to believers; in sanctification his Spirit infuses believers with grace and enables them to use it. In the former, sin is pardoned; in the latter, it is subdued. The one exempts all believers equally and completely from the avenging anger and condemnation of God in this life; the other does not work equally in all believers, nor is it completed in any believer in this life, but only grows toward perfection.

The moment I received Christ Jesus as my Savior and Lord my sins were forgiven.  Jesus took his righteousness and placed it on me.  He took my sin upon himself.  In that moment I experienced justification.  I did not earn it.  I did not deserve it.  It was God’s free gift.

That conversion experience was the beginning point of my sanctification.  The Holy Spirit came into my life and began the process of transformation that would last my entire lifetime.  Through my lifetime the Holy Spirit will help me to grow towards perfection—only reaching it upon entering the heavenly realms.  Sanctification is that process the Holy Spirit is working in my life.

The plan for this summer is for Brenda and me to walk a half-marathon (possibly a 10K if family members are only going 10K).  I can walk three miles at this time (we haven’t started training yet) but it would be quite slow and my legs would be very sore this evening.  A month from now I should be able to walk four or five miles at a faster pace with less soreness.  Two months from now I should be able to walk six miles at a fairly brisk pace.  In July I hope to be able to walk 13.1 miles at a 17 minute per mile pace.  In July I will look differently than I do today; I will walk differently than I do today.  Becoming a half-marathon walker is a process—it doesn’t happen overnight. 

The process of sanctification is a similar type of process—each day yielding more of my life to Christ; each day acting a little more like Christ; each day becoming a little more Christ-like.

Sanctification.

(note:  Our walking a half-marathon is not an April Fools joke.)

Lent - Day 36 (March 31)

Larger Catechism – Day 36 of Lent

Question 75:  What is sanctification?

Answer:  Sanctification is a work of God’s grace for those whom God has chosen to be holy before the beginning of the world and to whom in time the powerful operation of the Spirit applies the death and resurrection of Christ. They are thus renewed in their whole persons after the image of God, have the seeds of repentance unto life and all the other saving graces put into their hearts, and these graces are so aroused, increased, and strengthened that they more and more die to sin and rise into newness of life.

It has been said that over time a dog owner begins to look like their dog.  True?  False?  Maybe?  All I know is that many times a dog owner does look like their dog.  

Dave Ramsey says that if you want to become financially secure (wealthy) then you need to see what financially secure (wealthy) people do and then do those things.  He also says that if you want to be poor (because of bad financial choices) then see what those people do and then do those things.

Many, many years ago Bill Gothard of Basic Youth Conflicts told young people to never say, “I am not going to raise my kids like my mom and dad did,” because if we focus on way our parents raised us (even if we didn’t like it) then that is how we will raise our kids.

Simply put, we tend to become like those things on which we focus.

Spiritually speaking, as we follow Christ, doing the things that he told us to do and modeling our lives after his life we will begin to look and act more like Christ.

Sanctification is the process by which the Holy Spirit enables us to die to sin and live into the newness of life that we have in Christ Jesus.  The more we live into that newness of life the more we will resemble Jesus.

Christ’s followers were first called “Christians” at Antioch.  They were called “Christians” because it meant “little Christs”.  Jesus’ followers resembled their Lord and master.

The sanctification of Christ’s followers is a life-long process.  We will not be perfect in this lifetime.  However, over time the Holy Spirit works in the lives of Christ’s followers to help us be more like Christ.