Good morning. I pray you all are doing well, preparing for a spirit filled Christmas. With Jesus’ birthday just around the corner and considering what it took for Him to leave all of heaven and it’s glory to come down here and be born to live the kind of life He lived, I think it is a great time to do a real self evaluation.
This weeks topic was inspired by a friend’s post on face book. She posted a comment, that she was inspired to post and I thank her for inspiring me. Have you ever claimed to be, or known someone who claimed to be a “work in progress”? Let’s look at a few scriptures.
Hebrews 5:12-14 says, 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” 1 Corinthians 3:2 says, “I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able” 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Revelations 3:15-16 says, “15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."
“A work in progress”. For this to be true, there has to be forward movement. The definition of progress is: a movement toward a goal or to a further or higher stage.
Looking at the above scripture lets see what we can learn here. According to Revelations 3:16, if you are stuck in neutral, God will “vomit” you out of His mouth. He does not want those who are cold or stuck in the middle somewhere. So to be hot, we must be moving forward.
Let me ask you this, are you a stronger Christian today than you were a week ago, or a month ago or even a year ago? What I mean by that is, do you spend more time with God today, than you use to? Do you still have the same foul words coming out of your mouth as you did before you became a Christian? Do you still watch the same movies or TV shows with that kind of language or nudity, that you watched before you were saved? Do you still smoke or drink, defiling the temple, like you did before you were saved?
Stop throwing rocks at me. I am not saying that when you get saved, everything bad stops. What I am saying is that you should see growth, “progress” toward moving away from these sins that separate us from God. You should see a steady forward progress where you see yourself doing less and less as time goes on. The Bible tells us that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; all things have become new”. Romans 9:21 says, “ Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel of honor and another for dishonor?”.
I don’t think we realize what we do to our witness and testimony when we try to tell others about how God has changed us and made our lives better, then we act the way we use to, say the things we use to and go to the same ole dives we have no place being.
Again, I AM NOT SAYING when you are saved you become perfect. Sinners, of which I am chief, struggle with sin everyday. In our walk through progressive sanctification, we should see victory over some sins and realize new ones that we should be working on overcoming. If before you were saved, you were a drunk, told lies, stole, cussed, dibbled in pornography, smoked and so on, then after you have been saved, you should be able to claim victory over one or more of these things and see how you have made improvements on the others, if you are a forward “work in progress”.
Remember: A lot of people learn just enough about a subject to be dangerous at it. Take the time to learn all you can about God and His word, then you will truly be a “work in progress”.
Until next time, please pray for each other and me, as I continue to pray for each of you. Love in CHRIST,
Brian Hanvey
Associate Pastor
Bethel Baptist Church
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