Man has waited a long time, but God has waited even longer. He has shown His patience long enough. He has also allowed man to look for some systems to govern this world. But as we can see throughout history, man has not made something good out of it.
The words “sanctification” and "justification "have been under much debate recently in the church. This debate is less about the actual definition, and more about the ramifications behind how it is actually lived out in the Christian life.
There are preachers, priests and pastors, who want others to believe man is saved by the Blood of Christ and no does not have to do anything any more. They even say that works of faith is a blasphemy. but we would like them and you to have a closer look to what is really written in the Bible.
We should listen much more to the Words of God and come to understand His Plan with mankind and how we do have to fit in God's Plan.
There is God’s will of freeing us from sin, sending His only begotten beloved son. God wants us to become more like that Nazarene man Jesus who was authorized by God to do many miracles. Jesus showed the way to God and to sanctification. We either can see it or keep ignoring his teachings, preferring to hold strong to human writings instead of Godly writings.
Those who say we as Christians do not have to do any work any more should listen to the apostle Paul his writing to the Thessalonians
“3 For this is the will of God, [even] your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication; 4 that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who know not God; 6 that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in the matter: because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified. 7 For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. 8 Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you.
9 But concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another; 10 for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren that are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more; 11 and that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your hands, even as we charged you; 12 that ye may walk becomingly toward them that are without, and may have need of nothing.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-12 ASV)We have to make ourselves like Jesus. To do this we have a lifetime, but the longer we wait, the harder we’ll cling hopelessly to God and his promises.
When we are willing to give ourselves to God and willing to learn about Him we shall come to get to know more about Him. Bit by bit we shall come to know Him better and we shall come to see how our faith in God also can change our attitude in life. That is what has to happen. As soon as we want to go for God we should be willing to give ourselves in the hands of God and letting Him change our inner being.
Our life shall not always go smoothly, also not when we have become a Christian. But when we keep going on the right path, in the process of waiting, spiritual transformation shall happen in our life.
If God always gave you what you want when you wanted it, he would not be such a good Father, but be like any worldly spoiling father, not preparing his children for this life on earth and not getting them to know the values of life. We also should remember that we still are of sinful nature and that not everything we want is the right thing or something good for us or good for others. Think about it. Considering our sinful nature, if you never had to wait, you also would never have a reason to trust God. We would do our own thing. We would never pray. We would not revere Him for His character. If we never waited, our lives would be much worse.
Therefore be patient and look forward to the higher promises of God. Follow Jesus as the Way to God and try to become like him. This will demand many efforts or works, but it shall be worth it.
Do not postpone and come to recognise who Jesus is, what he has done and Who his heavenly Father is and why that Eternal Spirit Who cannot be seen by man is so important for the whole world. Get to know why we should become children of Jesus ' heavenly Father.
Meditate on James 1:5-8 and on the second chapter about faith and works.
Please also look at our series on From Guestwriters:
- Leading people astray!
- Restitution
- Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works
- Luther’s misunderstanding
- January 27, 417, Pope Innocent I condemning Pelagius about Faith and Works
- Our life depending on faith
- Romans 4 and the Sacraments
- Is Justification a process?
- Justification – salvation is by grace through faith – JI Packer
- Faith itself not the cause of justification – Louis Berkhof
- Letter to the Romans, chapter 3
- Letter to the Romans, chapter 4
- Additional comments to the 3rd Letter to the Romans
- Additional comments to the Letter to the Romans 4
- Which is worse–works without faith, or faith without works?
- James 2:14-23 — Justified Dynamic Faith & works
- James 2:24 – You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
- James 2:25. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
and read also other articles as:
- A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it
- Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
- Christ’s ethical teaching
- Being Justified by faith
- Faith Alone Does Not Save . . . No Matter How Many Times Protestants Say It Does
- A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
- A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice
- Faith and works
- Bearing fruit
- Observing the commandments and becoming doers of the Word
- The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
- Be holy
- She who sows thistles will reap prickles
- Love for each other attracting others
- Outflow of foundational relationship based on acceptance of Jesus
