Sorry this is so late today.
Scripture
Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Philippians 3:16
Observation
We need to live out what we know to be right.
Application
Works do not save us, we know that. It would be impossible for us to work our way to heaven because perfection is what is required, and we are all far from perfect.
No, we are saved by God's grace alone. We are saved by faith that He enables us to have. We are saved by our belief that God sent His only Son, the only Perfect One who ever walked this earth, to die in our place, who rose again victorious over death, and by our decision to invite Him into our lives as our Saviour and as our Lord. None of that is works. None of that is done by our power, only His.
So what are works? Works are evidence of our faith. Works are our faith in action. What we do and how we act reveal what we really believe.
From my Life Application Bible....
Christian maturity involves acting on the guidance that you have already received. We can always make excuses that we still have so much to learn. The instruction for us is to live up to what we already know and live out what we have already learned. We do not have to be sidetracked by an unending search for truth.
We don't have to know everything before we start changing our lifestyle or behaviour. We must continually change as we continue to grow in knowledge and truth. As God reveals our sinful attitudes, thoughts or behaviours we must be willing to confess them to Him, and to truly repent which involves a turning away from those things which have been revealed to be sinful.
It is a continual process. We have never "arrived" as Christians. There is always more to learn and deeper ways to grow.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:12-14
God does not reveal things to us in order to have us wallow in guilt, fear or shame. He reveals things to us in order to restore our relationship with Him that He may be glorified. If we have been convicted of a sin that has been revealed to us, and we have confessed and repented of this sin - we need to do as the apostle Paul did - forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead.
Paul spoke from experience here. He held the coats of those who stoned Stephen and gave approval of his death. He persecuted Christians with zeal. He was deceived. But when he became a Christian he did not give up one form of slavery only to become enslaved by shame. No, he focused instead on what God could do through him now as he pressed on toward the goal.
As long as we live on this earth we live in the tension of who we have been (or what we have done) and who we want to become. But our salvation did not depend on us, it depended on God. And the perfecting of our faith depends on God as well - and He will be faithful to complete it!
So press on, in light of what has been revealed to you, in pursuit of further truth, under the power of the Holy Spirit and see what God will do!
Tomorrow's passage: Psalm 93-95, Philippians 4
3 comments:
It's true; shame about our past or current imperfections can be paralyzing.
"...straining toward what is ahead..." implies effort, to me anyway. We can't just sit around saying we're not good enough. We have to put in the effort to be contributing members of the Christian family, and also to grow and to mature. Thanks, Tammy!
I love this post Tammy. Thanks so much.
I think that perfectionism is paralyzing. Sometimes we think if we can't do it perfectly that we shouldn't even try. I think we do need to focus on what we can do now and not be weighed down by our perfectionism or our belief that we have not arrived yet. Great reminder, thanks!
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