December 29, 2024

I apologize that I did not post yesterday. I had no idea that tearing down wallpaper was going to take all day.

The word sanctified is really important in this verse.  When we come to a place of salvation, we admit our sins and ask God for forgiveness.  It would be great if we can walk away from the altar after that prayer and have it all together.  The reality is that salvation is a beginning of a lifelong process of growing in our faith.  As we learn more about Jesus, we learn more about obedience to his will.  God works in our hearts to help us to become more like Jesus as we seek Him.  This is a lifelong pursuit of growing in holiness.  This is not a straight-line type of development that we see equal progress year after year. We may have times of great growth. We may have times where we feel kind of stuck.  
The pursuit of holiness is the call for all Christians.  This pursuit will not necessarily lead to perfection in this life, but rather it should lead us to progress and growth in our relationship with the LORD.  We are near the end of 2024. This is a good time for reflection. How have you grown in your faith and in your obedience to God this year?  Are you different and more mature in December 2024 than you were in January 2024.  If you haven't seen much growth, I would encourage you to bring it to the LORD and ask for Him to show you what needs to be changed. Growing in Christ is a lifelong pursuit.