“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Sanctified, blameless. Those words have always seemed unreachable to me. I believe in and depend on the finished work of Jesus for the salvation of my soul. His grace covers me, of that I’m certain. But blameless?
What if the Apostle Paul looked into my brain and heart and saw all the wicked thoughts that still run through them? Forgiven, thankfully, but sanctified (made holy) and blameless? Can that ever be true of me?
Yes! Strangely, wonderfully, completely… yes.
By my own efforts — impossible. By grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9) do I stand before my Heavenly Father, washed in the blood of my Lord Jesus. Walking in his resurrection power, brought from death to life, from darkness to light. That is who I am.
Perfect? Only in Jesus. How I look forward to the day that I’ll cast this flesh aside and walk forward into eternity, completed in Christ. No longer a work in progress. Walking in his healing grace, day by day, I know that it will someday be true! In the meantime, I pray that he will make my whole self — my all — as much like him as possible.
Are there days when you think that you will always fall short of God’s requirements? When it seems impossible to ever be fully his? Along with me, give him your all, each morning, confessing any known sin, and asking him to finish his perfecting work in you. He will always answer that prayer.
It just may take time for all of us to get there. And that’s okay. Never doubt he is still at work.
Lord Jesus, thank you for redeeming one as lost as I. You sought this broken soul and never let me go. Someday you will perfect me. All praise to you, my Savior. Amen.
By Rand Kreycik
Used by Permission
Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/
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The Powerful Reality by Ruth Calkin
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