April 1, 2012

  • Warning! It's An Easy Trap To Fall Into!

    "How many of us live as if salvation is by grace, but sanctification is by works? It is an easy trap to fall into...!"
    http://www.revelife.com/755622482/if-they-only-knew-sin-and-forgiveness/

    In my experience, this is a widespread problem in the body of Christ today!

    Salvation, eternal and everlasting life, is a gift from God to those who have faith in Him, who have believed upon the Name of His Son, Our Messiah!  Once belief has happened, most Christians agree, that gift is a done deal!

    Sanctification, however, is an ongoing process during every believer's entire lifetime.  It is the process of growing up spiritually; and it includes all the stumbles, mistakes and failures we all typically experience as we grow up physically, mentally and emotionally.  However, sanctification is only completed in the moment of the believer's physical death and entrance into God's Presence in heaven.  While we remain alive in our earthly bodies, the believer's responsibility in sanctification is to repeatedly look to, agree with and cooperate with "the Author and Finisher of our faith."  But far too many believers fall into -- and many are led into -- the devil's trap of trying to accomplish sanctification by their own works of righteousness.  When they experience inevitable failures, the devil and his agents are right there accusing them and making them to feel guilty and unworthy and hypocritical, perhaps even questioning the reality of their salvation.

    Often these agents of the devil are skeptics, scoffers and other unbelievers who have bought into the lie that Christians should actually, somehow automatically walk and talk and act as if they were perfected in the likeness of Jesus Christ.  But, unfortunately, sometimes these agents of the devil are well- meaning but misguided leaders within the church, over-zealously exhorting other believers toward holiness.

    I like the bumper sticker: "Christians Aren't Perfect; But They Are Forgiven."  Even better, I like to say Christians are in God's process of being perfected, even as they are forgiven again, and again, and again......  As I have written here often before, I begin every and frequent prayer like this:  "O Lord Jesus, God of second chances and new beginnings, it's me, again."

    So now I come to the reason I have sprung up off the springboard of someone else's excellent blog on Revelife to challenge some of my readers:  Which kind of devil's agent are you lately?  Or are you instead one of Christ's ministers of reconciliation?
    ...