Last week I wrote about how God transforms each of us into new creatures when we receive Jesus’ work on the cross on our behalf.  Just like the transformation from a caterpillar to a butterfly, it is instantaneous.  At that moment of transformation, we are a child of God and we now can claim the promise of salvation and eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:9-10).

When the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis, it is an adult butterfly.  It’s as beautiful and mature as it is ever going to be.  When a baby is born, it is as human as it is ever going to be, but it still has a lot of maturing to do. Likewise, when we are reborn as children of God, we are as saved as we are ever going to be, but we still have a lot of maturing to be as pure and perfected as God would have us to be.

As you probably know, I have seven grandchildren, ranging in age from 11 (nearly 12) down to 1. It’s been so wonderful to watch them grow (without having the direct responsibility). Not one of them is content to remain in their current stage of growth.  The baby is walking now and learning to talk.  It seems like yesterday the others were at that stage; now they are swimming, riding bikes, going to school, learning sports, playing music, taking on chores, learning to cook, etc.  We expect for children to grow up, but so many times we think that Christians can stay in whatever state they were when they made their profession of faith.

In Philippians 2:1-11, Paul gives us the beautiful passage about the humility of Jesus.  He then goes on to say:

¹² Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain” (Philippians 2:12-16).

 I’ve always loved Peter’s instruction to us in his second book, which also includes the compelling reason for our salvation:

³ His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. ⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, ¹¹ and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 2:3-11).

To be clear, it is God and only God who has the power to save us.  As believers, we are promised eternal life; however, don’t shortchange your life in eternity.  My intention in writing this is to encourage you to continue to grow in your walk with Jesus while here on this earth; to continue to make every effort to purify yourselves to be more like Jesus.  And what is so cool is that even while our physical condition may begin to deteriorate as we age, our spiritual condition can continue to grow as long as we make the effort (2 Peter 2:5).  And even better, it’s really our effort that matters most to God.  He is not concerned with our status, our accumulation of honors or wealth, or any other worldly measure of success.  He is only concerned with our efforts, motivated by a desire to please Him, to glorify Him, and to walk closer to Him.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ² Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³ All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:1-3).

 To quote Randy Alcorn: “Every day matters. Every hour matters. So spend it with eternity in mind.”

Blessings,

Judy