It Is All A Process

[OneWithGod]

Everything that God does with us individually is a process of growing into Him and more like Him, but this world is fooled by thinking some things are like a microwave, because their selfishness wants it now – So, they make themselves believe that they have it now, when in truth they haven’t went through God’s required process to receive what they have fooled themselves they already have, but don’t.

 

All Christians are taken from the point of where we are or aren’t in Christ and brought through a process to bring us to a point where we are perfected/sanctified fully into a Christ-like soul.

 

From the point of justification, we are in a process of being sanctified and made whole in Christ, this is called the sanctification process. It starts out at initial sanctification and should end up at entire/full sanctification.

 

Our salvation is a process as well, at initial sanctification we are saved from the power of our sins. Then we must use this power and grace that God has provided to us to continue in our sanctification and rid ourselves of our sins by this power. This process should go on until we have full salvation – by ridding ourselves of all our sins by this grace given to us, which is called the power of “salvation”. There is an “initial salvation”, but then that salvation process needs to continue to “full salvation”.

 

Being born again is also a process. We are first given a seed in our heart and souls that needs to grow into maturity - A mature Christian life that can live fully on Christ alone - A life that has left the world and all its worldly/fleshly desires in the past.

 

We start our born again process at the point of justification and it must continue to completion to be fully born of God. Our sanctification process mirrors our born again process. We must be entirely sanctified to be born of God. Actually the terms “born again” and “entire sanctification” mean the same thing and have the same biblical definitions. A person could rightly say that our sanctification process is the same as our born again process.

 

We must continue on into Christ and His Truth to become an obedient son of God. We must come to be sanctified through and through and become a pure and blameless soul for Him. A saint is not considered a saint until they are fully sanctified, and a born again person is not considered born again until they have matured into a full born again and Christ-like person for the Lord.

 

So, take joy in going through this sanctification (born again) process. Let us all keep reaching and pressing into God for this full born again experience.

[missmuffet]

Thank you.Nice post.

[WIP]

Indeed, we all are a " work in progress"

[ayin jade]

So Christ is not enough to be saved? It is not enough to have faith in Jesus? Seems like scripture states otherwise. 

 

Ephesians 2

8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it isthe gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 

Romans 10

9 Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth oneconfesses unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, "Everyone believing on Him shall not be put to shame."

[WIP]

Matt 24:13  But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.

Phil 1 : 6 Being confident of this very thing, that  He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
 

[OneWithGod]

So Christ is not enough to be saved? It is not enough to have faith in Jesus? Seems like scripture states otherwise. 

 

Ephesians 2

8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it isthe gift of God,

9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 

Romans 10

9 Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth oneconfesses unto salvation.

11 For the Scripture says, "Everyone believing on Him shall not be put to shame."

Getting in the WAY of Christ by being SAVED doesn't guarantee that a person will complete their sanctification/born again process. Whether a person completes the process of becoming holy and sanctified is upto the person's desires and faith. Not every person will desire to become a true son of God, so not every person will complete the process.

 

If a person is earnest about becoming entirely sanctifed (born again), than God will finish the process in them.

[Willa]

Philippeans 3:8-14 NASB More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the suupassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; In order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have attained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethern, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul claims he is not entirely sanctified or perfected or matured. His righteousness is by faith (and not by his own obedience to the law) and by that which is solely from God. He has left all and followed Christ, endured beatings and left for dead, and died to self as well. Yet he still is pressing on. It sounds to me that no one will be entirely sanctified, perfected or matured this side of heaven. To be sure we are not totally saved until our bodies are also transformed and we put on a body like Christ's resurrected body. Our souls were entirely saved when we received Christ. He cries Daddy within us. That is a done deal. Our names were writtin in the Lambs Book of Life and we were sealed with His Spirit. However, when we were filled with the Holy Spirit and given power to witness, we probably have all of the Holy Spirit we will ever receive. Yes there were many fillings in Acts and we should keep on being filled.

But the question is instead, how much of ourselves have we given over to God? Have we totally surrendered every area of our lives to Him? Have we even surrendered our pet doctrines to the scrutiny of His Word? Show me in the Bible where it says being born again is a process. Are we willing to say yes and do whatever God asks of us? Are we continuing to say no to sin and live a repentant life? Are our minds set on earthly things, fleshly things, or Godly things? Where are our treasures?

Yes we all have room to grow and become more like Jesus. And we should press on to be perfect even as God is perfect. But as soon as we think we have attained perfection we become proud and we are back to pressing on toward the goal again. And as soon as we think we have matured God lets us fall on our faces and shows us that we are not. Or else He reveals new areas where our hearts are wicked or deceitful.

[ayin jade]

 

So Christ is not enough to be saved? It is not enough to have faith in Jesus? Seems like scripture states otherwise. 

 

Ephesians 2

8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it isthe gift of God,

9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 

Romans 10

9 Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth oneconfesses unto salvation.

11 For the Scripture says, "Everyone believing on Him shall not be put to shame."

Getting in the WAY of Christ by being SAVED doesn't guarantee that a person will complete their sanctification/born again process. Whether a person completes the process of becoming holy and sanctified is upto the person's desires and faith. Not every person will desire to become a true son of God, so not every person will complete the process.

 

If a person is earnest about becoming entirely sanctifed (born again), than God will finish the process in them.

 

We are justified and saved at the moment of belief. Sanctification, which does not affect our salvation status, is a lifelong process. You seem to lump the two together.

[OneWithGod]

Philippeans 3:8-14 NASB More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the suupassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; In order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have attained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethern, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul claims he is not entirely sanctified or perfected or matured. His righteousness is by faith (and not by his own obedience to the law) and by that which is solely from God. He has left all and followed Christ, endured beatings and left for dead, and died to self as well. Yet he still is pressing on. It sounds to me that no one will be entirely sanctified, perfected or matured this side of heaven. To be sure we are not totally saved until our bodies are also transformed and we put on a body like Christ's resurrected body. Our souls were entirely saved when we received Christ. He cries Daddy within us. That is a done deal. Our names were writtin in the Lambs Book of Life and we were sealed with His Spirit. However, when we were filled with the Holy Spirit and given power to witness, we probably have all of the Holy Spirit we will ever receive. Yes there were many fillings in Acts and we should keep on being filled.

But the question is instead, how much of ourselves have we given over to God? Have we totally surrendered every area of our lives to Him? Have we even surrendered our pet doctrines to the scrutiny of His Word? Show me in the Bible where it says being born again is a process. Are we willing to say yes and do whatever God asks of us? Are we continuing to say no to sin and live a repentant life? Are our minds set on earthly things, fleshly things, or Godly things? Where are our treasures?

Yes we all have room to grow and become more like Jesus. And we should press on to be perfect even as God is perfect. But as soon as we think we have attained perfection we become proud and we are back to pressing on toward the goal again. And as soon as we think we have matured God lets us fall on our faces and shows us that we are not. Or else He reveals new areas where our hearts are wicked or deceitful.

Good post to encourage people to keep on growing in the Lord.

 

But, I understand Paul to be perfected in holiness, love, and righteousness when he said he had "not attained" yet. What Paul was saying, if someone reads it closely, is that he had not attained the power of His resurrection. Paul hadn't been resurrected yet, because he had not physically died yet, but had become mature and perfect in the power of God's love. In fact in a few verses after that verse, Paul claims he and some others were mature/perfect and that others should follow their example.

[OneWithGod]

 

 

So Christ is not enough to be saved? It is not enough to have faith in Jesus? Seems like scripture states otherwise. 

 

Ephesians 2

8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it isthe gift of God,

9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 

Romans 10

9 Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth oneconfesses unto salvation.

11 For the Scripture says, "Everyone believing on Him shall not be put to shame."

Getting in the WAY of Christ by being SAVED doesn't guarantee that a person will complete their sanctification/born again process. Whether a person completes the process of becoming holy and sanctified is upto the person's desires and faith. Not every person will desire to become a true son of God, so not every person will complete the process.

 

If a person is earnest about becoming entirely sanctifed (born again), than God will finish the process in them.

 

We are justified and saved at the moment of belief. Sanctification, which does not affect our salvation status, is a lifelong process. You seem to lump the two together.

 

We are justified and saved by our beliefs - in the amounts of our beliefs/faith. We must go on to full belief to be fully sanctified/born again.

 

For example: If someone is still sinning against God's known will, then this shows God and others that that person does not believe God's Truth fully, but is instead believing a lie instead.

 

No one can sin while believing God's Truth, but they can only sin by believing in one or more lies. If someone is still believing lies and sinning, then they are not believing in Christ, which is the Truth of God.