Celeste and I are so thankful for and proud of all of you for wrestling with these deep and important topics with us. Salvation and sanctification are big words! So far, we have defined salvation as accepting Jesus as your personal lord and savior and we have thought of sanctification as the process of becoming like Jesus. We are continuing to learn and grow together in our understanding of these concepts.
Last night, we arrived at a unique place in our discussion of the truths from the Gospel of Wholeness. Truths 1, 2, and 3 all focus on our human sin and brokenness and truth 4 brings us to the point in the story where we recognize that we (as humans) are not the solution--Jesus is. So, truth 4 is turning the corner in the sense that we move away from the problem (sin) and towards the solution (walking with Jesus).
Truth 4 highlighted how the same way that we receive Christ (or salvation) is the same way that we become like Christ (or achieve sanctification). Colossians 2:6 and 7 are our key verses:
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
We talked through how salvation happens--through God choosing us and showing us grace, among other things. We discussed how it is also through God choosing us and drawing us to Himself and showing us grace (among other things) that cause us to become more like Jesus. This is the point in the truths where our focus shifts from recognizing human sin and brokenness to recognizing how we need Jesus. We have emphasized this in our previous series on the Holy Spirit and spiritual warfare, but again we see that it is only through relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit that we are changed.
We know that this is somewhat challenging and maybe even a new way of thinking about sanctification. We hope that as we continue to walk out the rest of the truths (focusing on supernatural exchanges, forgiveness, confession, etc) that this will start to make more sense. The materials last night showed us that it isn't through human effort or striving that will bring wholeness to our lives, but rather is this divine and supernatural movement of God in our lives. This for sure doesn't get us off the hook (as some of you pointed out)! We have a role to play in this relationship with God.
This discussion reminds me of Ezekiel 36: 26-27: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
Please post comments/questions/confusion!! Although, (maybe this goes without saying) please do this in a respectful and loving way. It is very much okay if we disagree, but we want to learn together how to do that in a way that builds each of us up. So, please be sensitive and aware as you type. We want this to be safe place for everyone to share!! Also, we are hoping to really connect in meaningful ways and have a true dialogue, so we don't just want to talk at one another, but rather to one another!
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truth 4 is intersting but not sure how i can apply it in my life or with my relationship with god can someone help me By the way mille great teaching
ReplyDeleteI think the main issue I had with saying that salvation occurs the same way as sanctification is that I don't understand how Col. 2: 6-7 says that.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to say the opposite because it tells us to "continue" to live in him, to be "rooted" in him, to be "built up, just as we were taught."
Those are action words. It seems to put emphasis on what "you" (we) need to do. If we are to be sanctified in Christ, "just as [we] were taught" then wouldn't it make sense that he meant for us to put forth some effort "just as we were taught"?
I am definitely not saying that we are to become like Christ through good works alone, or by good works at all. I am not a proponent of "good works" as a means to become like Christ. I definitely believe we do good works because of the love of God in our hearts, not so that we can become like him. So good works is more an effect rather than a cause of our relationship with Christ.
However, I do think that unlike salvation--where God did all of the work for us because even with our efforts, we could not save ourselves, that sanctification, or becoming Christ-like, does require effort.
As a Christian who has and continues to struggle with her place with God, I know that doing nothing (like salvation) cannot make us like Christ.
I am trying to think practically about this. I think that in order to be like Christ, we must fight to get to know him, fight to be near him, fight to even think about him during our day.
Even though Christ changes us, we have to fight to stay changed or even fight to be in a place where we can be changed. It's such a struggle and I really do think it takes effort to get to know God and even more effort to become like Christ. Not through good deeds, but through our relationship with God.
Esther and Nichole, thanks for your comments! I am glad that you both felt safe and comfortable enough to share. I'm looking forward to continue to talk about these important issues with you and all of the ladies from group.
ReplyDeletehmm...yes, this is challenging! where and what is our role in all of this?? I've heard a pastor at church say that it's 100% us and 100% God. we are supposed to put in 100% of ourselves into this journey of being like God, but God also puts in 100% and of course, His 100% goes way farther than ours :)
there are just some obstacles in my way on getting to become like Jesus more that I just cannot move on my own, no matter how hard I try or fight. sometimes it's only through an divine experience of God that can move us forward. as we move into discussing forgiveness and confession, we will see more of our role in this process, but also more of God's role and how so much of our becoming like Jesus is the divine/supernatural/unexplainable by any logical or human means result of being rooted or in *relationship* with Him.
and I would even maybe suggest too that God didn't do all of the work in our salvation (of course sending Jesus to die on the cross for us was all of God's effort), but that moment where we became saved took an act of our free will...of us saying now that I've been exposed to truth, I'm going to believe it and accept it.
please, others, share your thoughts! and Esther, I'd love to hear more from you :)
Hey ladies! Great comments!
ReplyDeleteI would even argue that Salvation (acknowleding and embracing Jesus as Lord of your life)and Sanctification (the process of being transformed...of becoming more and more like Christ) work together interchangably. That there is no clear line between the two. Even though God has finished the work on the cross, and that it is only through him that we able to even follow him, that work can only begin when we yeild to him. I have heard it said, and quite agree with this, that Salvation is not a one time event. Meaning, we say some prayer when we are 5 and therefore we are saved though the gospel is not having a significant impact in my life. Rather, salvation is an everyday choosing to say "yes" to Jesus and living in the truth that my life belongs to Him. So you see salvation and sanctification working together, we say yes to Jesus, we yeild to Him, and we walk as he asks us to. And I would even say, that keeping this constant awareness of salvation (belonging to Christ), will always move you into sanctification (taking on His characteristics). If we are struggling with doubt, it will be harder for God to move in and through you, because of that unyeilding in us. I struggle with doubt, just as any normal person does, and I find myself regularly praying, "Lord, help me in my unbelief!!"
We cannot embrace our salvation or be refined, unless we are able to surrender to God and relinquish our rights to our life.....a hard concept to embrace in our world today. Paul talked alot of being in chains for Christ and being a prisoner of the gospel, but he also said, where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. But we see the women and men of faith all throughout scripture coming to a crossroads of surrender. It was always a choice. So whether in coming to faith or walking out faith, we have a choice....
I do agree though that being refined is hard. I don't know that many people truly understand what they are signing up for when they choose to follow Jesus. When it gets hard and I am tempted to rest in a status quo style of living, I am presented with the decision do I really want to follow Jesus or not. It is continued process of the ol' dying to self. As we say yes, and allow God more territory and authority in our hearts, we become more like him. It is true though that once you say yes to Jesus...then the work begins! But you will find that continuing to say yes to Jesus, is in and of itself hard work....
I apologize if I have been talking at you....I didn't mean to ramble on so long : )
But I am interested to hear from you all, what this process looks like/feel like to you. What challenges you about this?