Have
you ever thought of yourself as God's latest reclamation project? Well,
if you are truly His, that's what you are. The Bible makes it very clear that
we all were far from God at one point. But He has, in His marvelous mercy, seen
fit to draw us close to Him again, and to reveal His remarkable love and mercy
to and through us.
We
have been brought into such an excellent inheritance, and we are assured of
everlasting life and joy with Christ, but there is still much to be done as we
prepare to become effective witnesses right here and now. You see, being saved
is only the beginning; being holy and mature is the goal. Holiness is God's aim as He
"sanctifies" us, setting us apart for His own good pleasure, enjoying
us as we enjoy Him.
A
great part of living the life of a saint is the awesome work of regaining what
was lost in our former life of sin and dysfunction. Before we were saved, we
may have thought of ourselves as moral, ethical citizens who were good
people deep down. But the Bible says
we were hopelessly flawed, unable and unwilling to submit to a holy God. And
because God made us for His purposes alone, we lost our true identity in those
wayward years.
My
prayer is that the current series of teachings, entitled "From Capable
to Faithful" speaks to each of us personally about the hopes, dreams,
ministries, talents, and gifts that seemed to be lost forever and buried under
the disobedience and rebellion of the past.
For the Lord has promised to restore the years the "locusts"
have eaten, and He will cause us to bear much fruit for this and future
generations. If only we'll hear, believe, and obey - because you'll never truly
know yourself and who you can be until you've recovered all. It's a great thing to be God's reclamation
project!
Love
and peace beyond understanding,
Pastor
Eric
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