"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Ephesians 4:1
When we receive Christ as our Savior, placing our faith in Him for salvation, we are justified by God. No longer are we under the penalty of death for our sins. We are accepted by God, not because of anything we have done, but rather because of what Christ has done for us. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."
Justification doesn't make us holy, but rather declares we are no longer guilty before God and consequently treated as holy before Him. Once we are justified, our sanctification -- separation unto God for His service -- begins. Justification is a one-time event at the time of conversion. Sanctification is an ongoing process. "Sanctification is a fundamental concept in Christian theology, referring to the process by which believers are made holy and conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. This transformative journey is both a definitive act and a progressive work of God in the life of a believer, beginning at the moment of salvation and continuing throughout the believer's life." https://biblehub.com
Did you catch that? Sanctification is a "transformative journey." A perfect description in my humble opinion. Receiving Christ is the most important decision we'll ever make, and that decision should lead us to desire to be more like Him. To yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to transform us and conform us to Christ likeness. We learn how to be more like Jesus by reading scripture, confessing our sins, humbly asking Him for help, and choosing to live in a way that pleases Him. We do this because we love the Lord and want to glorify Him.
This is a journey worth taking!
Today's music video Sanctify by Diana Harding is as one viewer commented, "a beautiful prayer wrapped in a beautiful song." Let it be your prayer to God.
I love you, I'm thinking of you, and I'm praying for you.
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