Growing in the Lord
I think we have a problem when people think that salvation is a one time event. We do not think that growth is required. However, the Bible speaks of salvation in the past tense, the present tense, and the future tense. How could that be? Salvation is a love relationship with Jesus that is based on knowing Him and trusting Him. No relationship is static. It is either growing or waning. Jesus means for our relationship with Him to be growing.
Yes, we were saved when we put our trust in Christ to forgive our sins and to be the Lord of our lives. However, we are being saved as we work out our salvation in fear and trembling. We are trusting Him each day for the rest of our earthly lives. Then, we will be saved in Heaven. We will get our eternal bodies, and we will be saved from even the presence of sin. It is a definite progression upward. That is what the Lord means for each of us each day. If that isn't happening we do not really trust Jesus.
How are you doing on growing? Do you see progress? Can you name things which used to be a problem, but now they are not? Growing in the Lord is measurable in that way. I pray that each of us will take an account of our growth regularly to make sure we are in God's will for our lives.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 107-109 and I Corinthians 4.
Yes, we were saved when we put our trust in Christ to forgive our sins and to be the Lord of our lives. However, we are being saved as we work out our salvation in fear and trembling. We are trusting Him each day for the rest of our earthly lives. Then, we will be saved in Heaven. We will get our eternal bodies, and we will be saved from even the presence of sin. It is a definite progression upward. That is what the Lord means for each of us each day. If that isn't happening we do not really trust Jesus.
How are you doing on growing? Do you see progress? Can you name things which used to be a problem, but now they are not? Growing in the Lord is measurable in that way. I pray that each of us will take an account of our growth regularly to make sure we are in God's will for our lives.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 107-109 and I Corinthians 4.