Sunday, July 24, 2016

It’s A Journey


It’s A Journey


I have had the privilege of knowing some very spiritually mature followers of Jesus; rugged and worn but faithful and true. Their love for and dedication to Jesus, their humility and sincerity, the love of Christ poured out to others through them, their endurance, their selflessness, the peace that surrounds them, the strength that sustains them, the power that enables them, their beautiful faith, their optimism, these saints are truly an inspiration to me. It is important to understand though, that these wonderful men and woman of God didn’t just suddenly become the leaders, servants, teachers, prayers, doers and givers that they are today, it was a journey.

Yes, the moment one surrenders to Christ, he or she is adopted into God’s family and made righteous in their standing before God. But becoming in daily life what we are in standing is a process – the process of sanctification. A journey from believing and accepting the truth to living it out daily. The instructions, principles, requirements and wisdom for this journey are found in the Word of God.

Outlined below is a high level overview of the journey. This is far from exhaustive and the ‘steps’ taken on this trek aren’t always in a specific order; most of the steps are repeated over and over again. But for all who walk this trail, the final destination is the same.


Introduction
Hearer
  • Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
    • To know of God all you have to do is look around; His creation declares His existence. But to know God, you have to be exposed to the truth of His Word.

Education
Learner
  • Acts 17:11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
    • Once exposed to the truth of God’s Word, to be reborn into God’s family, one must understand the truth, embrace truth and by an act of the will surrender to the truth. Making Jesus the Lord of your life requires that you learn. This learning process may take five seconds, five weeks, five years… But once you become a child of God, you realize that the learning has just begun.

Application
Doer
  • James 1:25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
    • A person cannot work to earn a right standing before God. If we could, Jesus died in vain. But once we are freed from Satan’s lies and serve the one true God, we work to show our love for Him, our faith in Him and our appreciation for what He has done and will do for us.

Appreciation
Embracer
  • Psalm 119:97 Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
    • The truth is liberating. It is exciting and satisfying to finally understand where we came from, why we are here and what happens to us when we die. To gain meaningful perspective on the human condition, the world we live in and the spiritual battles around us inspires and challenges all that we are and hope to be.

Memorization
Possessor
  • Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
    • When He was tempted by Satan, Jesus showed us that God’s Word is our best defense. As the Holy Spirit of God enables us to gain insight into the eternal truths of His Word, we are empowered by God to bring Glory to Him. Storing God’s Word in our hearts is greatly beneficial to us and those around us.

Renovation
Transformer
  • Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
    • God’s Word changes us. As followers of Jesus, we think differently; which changes the way we look at things; which changes the way we feel about things, which changes what we desire, which changes what we say and do. We are remade into a new creation by our knowledge of God and our experiences with Him.

Perpetuation
Sharer
  • Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
    • Why do we share our faith? Why do followers of Jesus want others to know Him? Because our Lord commands us to. We do it for the same reason a firefighter runs into a burning building to save a life; but we are concerned with a person’s eternal destiny (Heaven or Hell). Bottom line, the love of Jesus (His for us and ours for Him) compels us to.

Completion
Inheritor
  • 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
    • Although we don’t fully understand everything it means to be like Jesus when we are with Him in Heaven, we have been promised eternal life, no more sorrow, no more death, no more sin. We will receive remade bodies that will never break down or wear out. We have the privilege of spending eternity learning about our infinite Heavenly Father.

If you are already on this journey, stay on the path and keep walking with Jesus. It may feel like a long hard road sometimes, but the blessings along the way and the final destination are God’s wonderful gifts to you.

If you are not on this journey but want to be, surrender to Jesus as Lord and Savior and let the journey begin. Once you are His, He will never let you go.

If you are undecided, pray with a sincere heart that God will reveal Himself and the truth about Jesus to you. If you seek Him, you will find Him.


Prayer

My God and King, I love you and thank You for this journey I am on with You. Mold me, empower me and use me for Your Glory and for Your Kingdom. May Your Words touch and change hearts. Draw those who sincerely long for the truth. Bring them to Your Holy Word and into Your precious body of believers, the church. I pray in the name of my Savior Jesus. Amen.