Pastor Carol Grace ♦ October 17, 2024 ♦ Leave a comment
(NIV) Rev 5:8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song… Today is my mother’s birthday. …
Knowing Jesus as your Savior is an act of faith brought about by grace. We were all dead in our sins, and it is only Jesus who can restore us to life.
What does it mean when we are restored to new life in Christ? It means we not only repent of our sins, we turn away from them. It means we become intentional in forming our lives to comply with the precepts of holiness found in God's Holy Word.
The prevenient grace provided by God before we even knew we needed it pulls us into a relationship with God. We are then justfied by grace and the salvation that comes only through grace begins to transform us.
Are you being transformed into the image of Christ? Do you see the world through Kingdom eyes or are you still trying to build your own mini-kingdom, believing it is through your own efforts that you will achieve "happiness"?
Blessed are they who recognize the poverty of their spirits, and those who mourn over their sin nature. Blessed are the meek because they have turned control over to their God. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, or right standing with God. Blessed are the pure in heart, the transparent, who want only to love God more and to share that love with others. Blessed are they who shod their feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
The pathway to holiness is well marked, both by Jesus and those disciples who have traveled it ahead of you. Christianity is not simply attending church two Sundays each month. Christianity transforms us from darkness to light, from old to new, and that transformation brings us into a new relationship with God and with our fellow man.
Salvation was never meant to be the end game, but instead the beginning of a lifelong journey. The journey is not meant to be solitary, but communal in nature. Loving God and loving others is key to discipleship.
If you know Jesus as your Savior but have not yet allowed Him to be your Lord, I pray that you will begin to seek after Him with your whole heart. Find a Bible based church and make reading the Scripture and prayer a part of your every day activity.
When you begin to know Jesus, you will begin to act like Jesus. The fruits of the spirit will be made manifest in your life, and you will be eager to share those fruits with others. It is then that your humanity will begin to be covered by Christ's divinity, and it is then that you will be able to state with certainty that you know Christ as both your Savior and your Lord.
Seeking Holiness