Our world has fallen. Everything must be changed, redeemed, and restored. We are a part of this. We need salvation, as we discovered in the third chapter of this book.
How are we saved from the sin that has been eating away at us? We must have some sort of grace from an outside source. God has graciously given his Son to take our place. This is the first side of a concept called "double grace." In this process, we are first justified, then we slowly become sanctified. In sanctification we become more Christlike. This doesn't happen in a day or one moment; instead it is a lifelong process. It is a constant struggle between how our sinful nature and the new creation of Christ within us.
Since we are redeemed, we are grateful to God. How could we not be? We owe Him everything. He atoned for our sins on the cross. Beyond that, He promises us not only salvation on earth but also eternal salvation. This gratitude leads us to desire to serve Him in any way we can. By serving Him, we must be putting on a Christlike attitude. This attitude may not be quite right yet, but we still must at least try to use it.
This all may sound like review. In fact, it should. But, as someone mentioned in class, this is the foundation of faith. We may know the facts, but it is how we actually apply them to our lives that matters. We must remember that when we approach an "old" topic, we shouldn't think that there is nothing new to be learned. Instead, we must try to keep it fresh. Instead of using old catchphrases, we should use new ways to say the same ideas. This way, we won't scare people off with big words or confusing phrases that only have meaning if you are in the "inside loop" of the church.
How are we saved from the sin that has been eating away at us? We must have some sort of grace from an outside source. God has graciously given his Son to take our place. This is the first side of a concept called "double grace." In this process, we are first justified, then we slowly become sanctified. In sanctification we become more Christlike. This doesn't happen in a day or one moment; instead it is a lifelong process. It is a constant struggle between how our sinful nature and the new creation of Christ within us.
Since we are redeemed, we are grateful to God. How could we not be? We owe Him everything. He atoned for our sins on the cross. Beyond that, He promises us not only salvation on earth but also eternal salvation. This gratitude leads us to desire to serve Him in any way we can. By serving Him, we must be putting on a Christlike attitude. This attitude may not be quite right yet, but we still must at least try to use it.
This all may sound like review. In fact, it should. But, as someone mentioned in class, this is the foundation of faith. We may know the facts, but it is how we actually apply them to our lives that matters. We must remember that when we approach an "old" topic, we shouldn't think that there is nothing new to be learned. Instead, we must try to keep it fresh. Instead of using old catchphrases, we should use new ways to say the same ideas. This way, we won't scare people off with big words or confusing phrases that only have meaning if you are in the "inside loop" of the church.
I was thinking the same thing when I read this chapter. Redemption is something that I have known about since I was younger, and it becomes cliche. We do need to see new perspectives about old topics, and definitely be able to relate it to other people. Well said.
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