“ It is because of him that
you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our
righteousness, holiness and redemption.” – 1 Corinthians 1:30
We just had a team of young people from Ohio
leave. They put on a four day bible club at our church here for the kids in the
community. There were over one hundred children that came and were inplanted with
the truth of God’s love. What a blessing it was to see not only my own children
at the village singing praises to their Father and memorizing His love letter
to them, but also the way their enthusiasm spread to other children. God is
good and there is nothing good in me.
I have been studying the book of James. Let
me to you, its insight is not an easy pill to swallow. It is one thing, for me,
to be back in the comfort of the U.S. and have my friends and family,
convenience of good medical care, and anything else I may need at the local
store, to look at the verses about persevering under trial. I never looked
deeper into James 1 because let’s be honest, my day to day trials went as far
as, my blackberry dying. Here in Africa, God has taken me away from those
comforts to work with children who have undergone horrendous trials and with
others that struggle to live day to day. I do not get much time for social
interaction because the need is so great here. But I am finding the blessing in
this lesson from God because it draws me closer to Him. He is showing me that
as He brings healing and refinement to my heart, all I have to do is continue
to work out my salvation. His word is meant not just to penetrate my heart, but
activate His holiness in me.
The mystery of sanctification is that the
perfections of Jesus Christ are imparted to me, not gradually, but instantly,
when by faith I enter into the realization that Jesus Christ is made unto me sanctification.
The one marvelous secret of a holy life lies not in imitating Jesus, but in
letting the perfections of Jesus manifest themselves in my mortal flesh. It is
His patience, His love, His holiness, His faith, His purity, His godliness,
that is manifested in and through every sanctified soul. Sanctification is an
implantation not an imitation. Jesus Christ is the perfection of everything, and
the mystery of sanctification is that all perfections of Jesus are at my
disposal, and slowly and surely I begin to live a life of indescribable order
and holiness. “Kept by the power of God.”
“Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus
the power to be holy; it is drawing from Jesus the holiness that we manifested
in Him, and He manifests in me.” – Oswald Chambers
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