-Philippians 3:13-15-
We often think that it's all finished when we come out of the waters of baptism. It is just the beginning. Baptism is when we are born again. We rise in the newness of life. It is now time for us to live that life in Christ. It is a blessing to have life in Christ. We shouldn’t have any worries. Even though we do. The thing is, church, it is not over. We are here to live and do the work of the Lord. We are here to keep on the narrow way. We are here to serve Him.
We need to live and enjoy that life. We are not meant to walk around in disrepair and fear from understanding the realities of sin and the impending doom of Judgement. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. We know the reality of sin so we understand the gravity and greatness of God's grace, Christ. Because we know that we will be Judged and the results of judgement, we rejoice in Christ. We know Heaven awaits all those that reside in the Lord.
That also brings us great joy and peace. No matter how ugly sin is and how deep in sin we are, Christ can save us. The same is true for all those around us. There is hope and a solution for everything, Christ. Yes, it can be hard, dirty, ugly, and nasty cleaning up our lives or the lives of others with the Gospel. Yes, it can be difficult to keep ourselves clean from sin. We have Christ for it all.
We have Him as a mop, a broom, a duster, a vacuum, cleaning supplies, mover, etc., as absolutely everything and anything we may need to get our lives clean of sin and filled with Him. We have Him to keep us strong when we are weak and when we can’t seem to do it anymore. We have Him for everything. In fact, all we have to do is show up and try.
What a life! What a fantastic way to live. We live in God. We live in His created beautiful world. We have hope no matter how bad it is. We have peace no matter how chaotic it is. We have strength when we are weak. We have a light for our path. Wait, maybe the short list here is what we don’t have. We don’t have sin and death. Now that we are free and cleansed, let's get to living. Live the life God has given you to live.
“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.” Philippians 3:13-15
-Steve Johnson
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