Soul Food: THE RECIPE – What are the basic ingredients of a life with God
THE PROCESS- Let it cook
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, 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.
Philippians 3: 10-14 New International Version (NIV)
THE PRIZE & THE PROCESS – THE END RESULT
What’s the end result of our journey with God?
Knowing God, and sharing in His eternal life; knowing Christ, and becoming like Him.
An intimate relationship with God . The utter transformation of our lives—eternally enjoying this New life with God, forever, in glory.
I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
Philippians 3: 8 (NIV)
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 CORINTHIANS 3:18 (NIV)
…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)
Salvation is a gift and a process, a journey.
Grace: “The Scriptural Way of Salvation”
Prevenient Grace– the grace of God that draws us to Christ
before we even know we need Him.
Convicting Grace- the grace of God that leads us to repentance, where we become aware of our sin and our need to be forgiven.
Justifying Grace – the grace of God that cleanses us of sin, where we receive full pardon, a clean slate, by fully trusting in the death and resurrection of Jesus to save us,
Sanctifying Grace – the grace of God that transforms us to become like Jesus… not only saving us from penalty of sin, but freeing us from the power of sin!
Where are you Today?
Where are you in the process of God’s salvation working itself
out in your life? And how are you in the midst of the process?
“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:6 (NIV)