The path of salvation – 25 October 2022

It does not take great wisdom to see that the world we are living in has lost its way. Man and his own desires contributes so much to war, violent crimes and, through selfishness, even to global warming. You do not need to be a believer to experience something of a battle between good and evil, right or wrong in this world.

As Christians, we believe that God has created this earth to be good. The original plan for creation was to be a space where mankind would live together in harmony with God and one another. We learn in Genesis 1:26-27 that we were created in the image of God. We were created to live in relationship with God and to take care of this world according to his principles. With the fall of man in Genesis 3, mankind’s own will and desires became more important than the will of God. When people do as they please, others get hurt.

God did not leave us alone in the mess we made. He has sent his son to become one of us (Romans 8:3). He came to deal with our sin. Sin is everything falling outside the will of God.

By faith, we became the children of God (Romans 8:14). The Holy Spirit has called us back to the relationship with God. He works in our lives; he wants to transform us back to our original Designer specs. What does our original design specs look like? We were made to conform to the image of Jesus. That is God’s plan for us. Jesus is our role model. We need to obey God and to be filled with his love, being peacemakers wherever we go.

God chose us to be his children by grace. He has called us: Come, follow me! When we answered his call, he made us new. It began by his justification, to take away the burden of sin. Jesus came to take everything away that was standing in our way of returning to God. He has changed our nature – from lost sinner to child of God. Justification is two processes working together simultaneously. On the one hand, it is to take us out of the darkness and, on the other, to take the darkness out of us. Less of the old man, living for himself. More and more like Christ, living every moment to glorify God.

God did not leave this world in its broken state. He is rebuilding it by growing his kingdom. He transforms the world by beginning with us. He calls us to help him to make a difference in this world, by being conformed to the image of his Son.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I have been created in your image. My own selfishness and rebellion have shattered that image. Thank you that you have not given up on me. Please keep on rebuilding that image of Christ in my life, I want to be more and more like Jesus in all I do. Amen