A work in progress..
The lights are starting to come on.. As I like to say it, I think the Holy Spirit is finally getting through my thick skull: It's a process, my dear child.Perfectionist me wants Joel to be free from sin, spectacularly loving, brimming with faith, bubbling with joy in Jesus, yesterday.
In some distant, cognitive sense, I have known this to be unrealistic, and perhaps unscriptural. But that knowledge has not been saving knowledge. My life testifies that I still believe in instant perfection. Tonight, I believe God is beginning to take me out that dreary wasteland into His garden of delightful Grace. :)
I thank God for writing, for His word, and for faithful standard-bearers of that glorious word such as Martin Luther, John Piper, and David Powlison.
Listen to the words of Martin Luther. They ring with wisdom that comes from God, and bring healing and redirection to the miracle of grace:
When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said
‘Repent,’ He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.
This life, therefore,
is not righteousness but growth in righteousness,
not health but healing,
not being but becoming,
not rest but exercise.
We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it.
The process is not yet finished, but it is going on.
This is not the end but it is the road.
All does not yet gleam in glory but all is being purified
‘Repent,’ He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.
This life, therefore,
is not righteousness but growth in righteousness,
not health but healing,
not being but becoming,
not rest but exercise.
We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it.
The process is not yet finished, but it is going on.
This is not the end but it is the road.
All does not yet gleam in glory but all is being purified
These words join with Powlison's to speak that the Christian life is to be a lifestyle of repentance, a process of turning and repenting, daily, on many fronts, in many theaters of life, as the Father, the Living God faithfully and tenderly crafts His dear children into the glorious likeness of His Son.
Paul said that "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6). Did you catch that? Until the day of Christ Jesus. We are not finished yet. Not until we see Christ.
So we are works in progress, sinners becoming saints. We fall down, but we get up, for a saint is nothing but a sinner who falls down, and is picked up by grace (Prov 4:16).
May these words wash over your soul with healing waters if you are plagued with guilt daily over your sin and your imperfections. May you find through these words rest, quietness and unqualified and desperate trust in the unfailing Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Know with the confidence of saving faith that God is working. He is faithful, even when we are found faithless (2 Tim 2:13).
Paul said that "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6). Did you catch that? Until the day of Christ Jesus. We are not finished yet. Not until we see Christ.
So we are works in progress, sinners becoming saints. We fall down, but we get up, for a saint is nothing but a sinner who falls down, and is picked up by grace (Prov 4:16).
May these words wash over your soul with healing waters if you are plagued with guilt daily over your sin and your imperfections. May you find through these words rest, quietness and unqualified and desperate trust in the unfailing Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Know with the confidence of saving faith that God is working. He is faithful, even when we are found faithless (2 Tim 2:13).
Labels: For the spirit, Musings
posted by Joel Chan @ 12:02 AM
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