Imagine some older person coming up to you and asking, "May I have the pleasure of making you a 'real Christian'?" How would you react? Such was a conversation that John Wesley had with a friend in 1725. Wesley did not believe in "almost Christians." You were either all in or completely out. Hmm, Jesus talked about that, too, didn't He? Jesus said lukewarm Christians would not like their fate. Paul stresses what the foundation thought of Christian is, God knows who belongs to Him. Closely behind, "Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness." Then, to drive home his point, Paul compares the believer, that's you and me, to kitchen utensils. Those of us who seek to be cleansed of our sinfulness are used to special purposes, "ready for every good work" (v. 21). And how do we cleanse ourselves? Paul writes to live a righteous life, saying yes to the passions of God, and no to the passions of the flesh. Seeking to be people of love, faith, and peace, because we have pure hearts. These avoid foolish quarrels and nonsensical arguments; seeking to be God's teachers, knowing even how to correct opponents with gentleness.
Back to Wesley, who believed later that the three traits of real, true, proper, scriptural Christianity are: 1) justification (freedom from the guilt of sin); 2) the new birth (freedom from the power or dominion of sin, but not from its being); and 3) a measure of assurance (occasionally makred by doubt and fear). These are in line with Paul's teachings. In a relationship with Jesus, we have found victory over sin and in having started that relationship we have come into a new way of living abundantly. And, in that relationship we have that assurance that we belong to Christ. Sing the hymn Blessed Assurance and learn what the hymn writer knew! No more, "I hope I get to heaven when I die!" If you're "in" with Jesus - you're in with Jesus eternally.
Get busy!
PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for Jesus, for Paul, for John Wesley. Thank You for the faith and love that is ours for the asking. I seek to deepen my relationship with You so that I can be a blessing and a teacher to others. Let me learn more so that I can share more. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
Prayer Requests for today: For The Rev. Thom Elliott, our pastor in Burnet, TX, who is in Seaton Williamson County Hospital in Round Rock, TX. Doctors are trying to determine the cause of a fever that prevented him from receiving surgery a couple of weeks ago. For Caitlin Vasquez, our daughter, who undergoes a surgical procedure here in Corpus Christi this morning. And for the arrival of Eliana Garcia, our fourth grand baby, due by C-section on Wednesday, October 25, 2012 (my birthday BTW!). Thank you for caring enough to lift up prayers for all.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: May God cleanse me enough to get dirty for God!
