2024-02-16
Good Morning Dear Ones,
As I wrote last week, we are going to look at the steps of transformation that one goes through from the moment of baptism. It’s only fair to say that God invites everyone into His Kingdom—even people not born to Christianity. Only He knows the criteria He uses to make His decision as to who invited will follow through. I was clueless that this invitation was being extended to me, beginning when I was in the eighth grade. That history was gained by hindsight, not foresight—putting distant memories together to make sense of them. Others might have this invitation in as many ways as there are humans with personalities. Eventually, the decision to become baptized is made consciously, as it was when I was back in the 1960’s for me. Still, I had no idea what God had in store for me after that. I had only recently discovered the skills He wanted me to use in serve Him. 2 COR 3: 17-18, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, Who is the Spirit.”
What this passage is telling us is that there is nothing accidental about this process of invitation, and step by step spiritual improvement as our earthly lives are in process. This process is beautifully described by Paul in PHIL 3: 14, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” I often repeat MT 7: 13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate that leads to the rocky road. For broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to eternal life, and only a few find it.” The transformation process depends on us wanting eternal life so much that we are willing to make some tough, unpopular choices along the way. Believe me when I say, God wants many more people to gain eternal life than are willing.
Remember when Moses asked to see God’s glory? EX 33: 20-23, “But”, He said, “, you cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live.” Then the Lord said, “There is a place near Me where you may stand on a Rock. When My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the Rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove My hand and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.” God loved Moses that much at this very early time. He loves you and me too, even though we must wait on God’s perfect time for us to be glorified to heaven. As for that Rock (that I keep capitalizing, because it is our Lord Jesus Himself, despite His name not being used in the OT). EX 34: 29-35 describes what happened when Moses descended from Mt. Sinai with the two tablets of the law. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them and came near them to give them the Ten Commandments the Lord had given him. What was the radiance? It was the reflection of God’s glory—the importance of which the people did not yet understand. Knowing that comes at the end of a journey of discovery, that step by step transformation.
Let’s look at some NT truths. 2 COR 5: 17-18, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone and the new is here! All this is from God, Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliating.” This reconciliation was not counting people’s sins against them because of Christ atoning sacrifice of His physical life for those who will profess faith in Him. This is real freedom as Christ has set us free. GA 5: 1 tells us to stand firm and not let us be burdened by the yoke of slavery (to sin). We already know that Christ has made salvation (gaining eternal life), justification (be deemed acceptable in God’s sight), and eternal forgiveness. Faith in Jesus Christ makes us God’s heirs to the Kingdom and sets us on the path to being surrounded by His many blessings.
PRAYER: O Most Holy Lord, when You invited us to accept the Covenant of Grace, we agreed to face/find our sins and confess them openly and honestly to You. We promised not to keep committing the same sins as we learned ever more about Your teaching. At the same time, You delivered on the love You have for us--- protect us, bless us, heal us, and so many more blessings that can’t all be enumerated here. We know that You keep Your promises, and that You give us a new freedom when we live according to the Spirit. He gives us His amazing gifts as our relationship with You deepens. Grace is defined in EPH 2: 8-10, and it is nothing humans can deliver. We are loved and accepted by our Lord Jesus Christ, in Whose name this prayer is offered. With thanks and praise in His name, Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I’m commanded by the Holy Spirit to write about God’s hope and our need for patience, as the 3rd installment of this series on Transformation. We have a lot to learn as “babies” in the faith. But none of these lessons are deliberately taught with a heavy hand. Our God loves us enough to know that some of the challenges in our lives are presented, so that we can mature in our spiritual lives. Just as we grow, inch by inch in childhood, and go through adolescence in becoming an adult, God is gradually urging us through the “narrow gate and along the rocky road” to eternal life. He loves us and wants us to succeed in winning the race that Paul described above. Spend your time recognizing your daily blessings received and know you are among God’s cherished ones. Remember 1 JN 4: 19, “We love Him, because He first loved us.” Thanks and praise to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn, JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2024. All Rights Reserved.
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